The boss that I worked for for the past 10 years recently retired. She’s a good friend and knows that I read romance novels and likes to listen to all of the different stories I have to tell if I come across a bizarre premise or a juicy m/m novel, etc.
I had lunch with her yesterday and since she’s retired she now has all this time to read (lucky bitch) and though she reads fiction and non-fiction she’s only ever read one romance novel and that was Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. She really liked that book and even read part of the next one in that series but couldn’t finish it. She got an iPad for a retirement gift and just loves the Kindle app on it. She now wants me to choose a romance novel for her.
Oh. the. pressure.
She’s not really a fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal or sci-fi kind of girl.
She would like a historical (any time period/country) or a contemporary.
I’ll have to work her up to m/m like I did for my mom but for now I think I’ll stick with m/f.
I have a couple of ideas but wanted some input from our many, many followers.
Tell me your 1 recommendation (I know, it’s hard to keep it to one) that you would give a non-romance novel reading friend – even if it’s fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, sci-fi or m/m – that’s looking for a really good romance.
Come on people, don’t be shy!
10 comments:
I would recommend Laura Kinsale's Flowers in the Storm. I think that book has the romance with the correct historical period atmosphere and wonderful writing.
You can never go wrong with a book by Loretta Chase, Lisa Kleypas, or Elizabeth Hoyt.
When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn. There's so much emotion in that book. I don't read historicals all that much but it would totally be one of my desert island keepers.
Maybe a Suzanne Enoch historical? I have only read her romantic suspense, but it's excellent, so I'd suspect her historicals would be good, too.
OUTLANDER!!! by Diana Gabaldon.
Sylvester by Georgette Heyer. For sure.
It's sweet but not sexy.
If you are looking for historicals, you could go with Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase, or The Duke and I by Julia Quinn. Or, for something a little different, The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie by Jennifer Ashley. If I were going to recommend anything at all to a non-romance reader, I might recommend Naked in Death by JD Robb. Since there's more of an emphasis on the mystery, that's an easy way to ease into it.
Great suggestions - thanks all!
Oh, and Ciara - Outlander was the ONE romance she did read...and liked. :)
Of course, when it comes to American historical novels, I think of the novels of John Jakes that go all the way from the French/Indian War to Korean Conflict. It is a series of family sagas over the generations and that is how they are connected, and are just some of the best I have every read. Also, the Malloy family series of historicals by Beth Williamson are still some of my favorites. Contemporary romance I would say the novels of Shannon Stacey are wonderful.
Since she like Outlander, which is a lengthy, twisty, adventure story along with the romance, I think that I would start with Broken Wing, by Judith James, and maybe hark back to Judith McNaught and some of the older school, globe-trotting romances-- Rosemary Rogers has re-released many of her titles.
I love all the ones that have been suggested here. I'd add Joanne Bourne, Eloisa James, maybe some of Marsha Canham's older medievals.
Contemps are harder for me to recommend; usually there is a humor element that is just so subjective. She might enjoy Diane Chamberlain or Luanne Rice.
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