Let’s Talk Classic Romance!
We have often talked about what we’re reading now here at Plotmonkeys. But I wanted to talk today about what we were reading then. As in, at the very beginning of our romance reading lives. I’d really like to know the name of “the book” or books that started you down the path of romance reading heaven. And maybe to talk about what qualities in those books made you a romance reading fan for life.
I’ll start.
I began reading romance novels at the age of 12. Like a lot of readers, I started with Kathleen Woodiwiss’s The Flame And The Flower. 
One of my sisters had brought it home, I found it, was told I couldn’t read it, so I promptly hid in the closet with a flashlight. All would have been fine if I hadn’t been stupid enough to ask my sister what a “manhood” was.
My love affair with romance novels continued throughout my teen years. I watched for every Woodiwiss, and will never forget the thrill of seeing a TV commercial for her third book, Shanna. I kid you not, I just sat there goggle-eyed, never having seen (or never remembering) a commercial for a book, and that it was one of “those” books that my mother was forever telling me I should quit reading, well, I felt validated! 
I am probably the exception to the Woodiwiss rule in that I really didn’t like Shanna that much. She was such a witch. I had really loved The Wolf And The Dove–Aislinn was such a strong heroine, but strong without descending into shrewishness, like Shanna did. 
Then came Ashes In The Wind (my editor Brenda Chin’s favorite of the Woodiwiss books) and I was in love again. Here was a feisty heroine who was every bit as strong as the hero, a rich backdrop, a noble but wounded hero and an entire cast I truly cared about.
Then came A Rose In Winter which took my breath away–the ultimate beauty and the beast story. I still love Christopher Seton and it is that book which has held up the best for me. I can reread Rose In Winter and still get that “ahh!” feeling that I had the first time I read it, (even though I mentally count the number of doors called “portals” and the number of eyes and breasts called “orbs.”) 
I’ll stop there with Woodiwiss. I never enjoyed another of her books. Can’t say why, I honestly don’t know. But her first five were simply beyond compare for me at that time.
There was another popular author during that period of early Avon supremacy, who didn’t achieve Woodiwiss’s stature or success, but whose books I came to love even more. Laurie McBain’s books absolutely floored me. 
I discovered her with Devil’s Desire, but she didn’t really come into her own until her second book, Moonstruck Madness (another of Brenda’s faves! She was a real tomboy and loved seeing the heroine dressing up as a boy, kicking butt and taking names!)
For me, I loved McBain because she always wrung every emotion she could possibly get out of me until I was utterly dry. I would find myself swept away by the romance, admiring the strong heroines, loving the to-die-for heroes, and yet, at some point, sobbing my face off because she’d gotten me into such an emotional state and had then yanked the rug out by killing off some character I’d fallen madly in love with.
In Tears Of Gold, it was the heroine, Mara’s, rascally, gold-hungry brother Brendan.
In Wild Bells To The Wild Sky (which I just reread about a month ago!) it was the heroine’s parents, whose romance takes up the first quarter of the book. And in this book, the hero’s name is (wait for it… ) Valentine Whitelaw. Could you just die? He was a privateer, with jet black hair and an earring, and oh, my God, he was divine! 
In When The Splendor Falls…well, just about everybody dies (it was a Civil War book) but I especially mourned the heroine’s brother-in-law, who came home from the war to find his beautiful young wife dead, and himself the parent of an infant. 
And then he dies too! Any other author would have him finding another HEA or dedicating his life to being a good father, or whatever, but McBain didn’t take the easy way out, and even while I was cursing her for it, I knew it couldn’t have happened any other way.
Books just don’t grab me like that anymore. Those early romances where the tragedy and the joy were completely intertwined, where the writing was rich and the characters so incredibly vivid literally swept me away. Made me ignore homework, housework, all the stuff I was supposed to be doing, stay up until four a.m., just keep turning those pages. That very rarely happens to me with any book now. And yet, when I reread Wild Bells To The Wild Sky, that is exactly what happened all over again.
Can I confess: I was a dumpster diver during that period. I worked at a shoe store in a mall when I was 16, and right next door was a Walden Books. Our dumpster was next to theirs in the back of the building. And oh, my God, when I went out there one day and saw it entirely FULL of books with the covers torn off, I wanted to scream at the sky, “Oh, the humanity!”
I, uh, shoved aside the empty pizza boxes, the slimy Hardee’s cups, the half-eaten Dairy Queen sundaes, and…shopped. Came home with a trunkload of books (knowing nothing, at that point, about covers being returned for credit and those books reported as destroyed.) Eventually, since they had no covers, I’m quite sure I did toss them. But I read every single one first. The author might not have gotten the royalties, but a whole bunch of them gained a new voracious reader.
Believe it or not, this was how I discovered another of my early faves: Cynthia Wright. She wrote really good colonial romances. One of my faves was a Scarlet Pimpernel homage Surrender The Stars (much like Jude Devereux’s much later title, The Raider). The hero is in disguise as a dandy/fop and is trying to win the heroine that way, while secretly seducing her as his real-life persona. My favorite Wright was called You And No Other, and it was a fabulous book set in the French court of Francois II. (I think!) Couldn’t find either of those covers, unfortunately.
There are a few other titles that stand out for me.
The House of Scorpio by Pat Wallace. I LOVED this book. 
It was set in a world that was divided by astrological signs. Sun people lived in the desert and water people lived in rainy climates. There were six complete romances in the book, about six sisters separated at birth. Each one had a very Victoria Holt “gothic” feel, despite the astrological stuff. I have been watching for that book for years…whenever it shows up online, it’s like fifty bucks or something. Maybe someday I’ll go ahead and bite the bullet for it, we’ll see.
Angel In Scarlet by Jennifer Wilde. I wasn’t a huge Wilde fan, especially with books like Love’s Tender Fury, where the heroine ended up with the JERK hero instead of the wonderful secondary love interest, who the hero kills in a duel. But Angel In Scarlet was a lot of fun. Wilde’s heroines were tarts and indentured servants. 
They had affairs (that shocked me when I first read one–the heroine sleeping with someone other than the hero? Yow!) And this one, in particular, had the heroine marrying someone other than the hero, and they’re both completely ostracized from society for it. (She’s an actress, he’s a Lord.) He throws a ball to introduce his new bride and NOBODY comes. But he doesn’t care. He takes her into his arms and dances her around the ballroom for the entire night to their own private orchestra. It was a lovely scene, and again, I wish he had been the hero…but I didn’t hate the actual final hero in this one as much as I did with Love’s Tender Fury. 
Okay, I’ve gone on and on here. I tend to get carried away when reminiscing about this stuff. I could talk about Devreaux’s Velvet series or Lindsay’s Mallory’s (her book Man Of My Dreams was my favorite, where the Duke was disguised as the stable boy… ) or Garwood or Judith McNaught…well, you get the point.
But now I want to hear from you! Where’d you get your start? What books do you really remember? Any you re-read to this day…and how have they held up?
And here’s a toast to the late Kathleen Woodiwiss, who started it all. I genuinely thank the woman to introducing me to what has been one of my greatest pleasures, personally and professionally: romance fiction.
Wow, such memories! I was also around 12 when I started reading my mom’s romances. I cut my romance-reading teeth on the Harlequin Presents, starting with Carole Mortimer’s “Burning Obsession”. Now I’m reading Woodiwiss - never read her before. I think reading her stuff 30 years later doesn’t have quite the same magic, but I can understand her appeal and what she did for the romance genre.
Later Johanna Lindsey came along, and some other authors I’ve forgotten the names of. But then I discovered Garwood, McNaught, Deveraux - those were my re-reads. Those were the golden years for me.
Comment by Stacy ~ — February 19, 2008 @ 7:02 am
I have read the older historical writers like Georgette Heyer and the more modern writers like Laura Kinsale, but Dara Joy brought the erotica style of romance with a SciFi twist to my attention and I have been hooked ever since.
SciFi was my first love - Edgar Rice Burroughs, EC Doc Smith, Heinlein, Asimov, McCaffrey etc. Unfortunately they were not prolific enough to keep up with my appetite for reading (approx 10-15 books a week) and I started to read romance. I read the last Harry Potter book in approx 4 hours. What a disappointment.
Comment by Linda — February 19, 2008 @ 8:02 am
I also started reading romances when I was 12. My mom had remarried and we moved to California where my stepdad was stationed (Fort Ord). His ex-wife had left behind maybe 100 to 150 books. Romances, westerns, gothic mysteries, Harlequins and Mack Bolan. Well, I was the lucky one. I ended up with the bedroom that had the books. My mom knew the books were in there and she also knew I was reading them. She never said anything about being too young to read them. Thank you Mom! Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor was one of my favorites. Laurie McBain’s Tears of Gold was another. I had also read Devil’s Desire and Moonstruck Madness. There were several of Kathleen Woodiwiss’ books, The Flame and the Flower, Wolf and the Dove and Shanna. I read a few in the Longarm series by Tabor Evans and a few Mack Bolan: Executioner by Don Pendleton. Rosemary Rogers. Barbara Cartland. Helter Skelter was also among the books. I didn’t know what it was about when I started to read it but once I started I couldn’t stop. I had to see how it ended. It has been almost 28 years Since I started reading and and it was a blast. Here’s to another 28!
Comment by bluecat — February 19, 2008 @ 8:44 am
My first romance novel was a HQ. I don’t remember the name, but my mom had it and I decided the guy on the front looked to need further inspection. I remember A Rose in Winter being my first historical. I became a huge fan of Nora Roberts shortly after that and never looked back.
Comment by Patty L. — February 19, 2008 @ 9:42 am
Okay, if you really want to get technical…my first romance (I probably have it somewhere) were those ‘teenage’ romance novels popular in the 80s. My mom worked in a high school library and used to bring them home to me (the junior high self). I also read other stuff during DEAR (Drop everything and read time) because I was ‘too’ embarassed to admit I read the stuff.
When I was studying overseas in college, I needed an outlet for my bored self (one can only do so much when not academically challenged), so I sought out romance books at used books stores like Jackie Collins (okay, my now hubby was back in the States, so you can understand the why and I was in lurv).
Then, books went out the window (not literally, just for awhile)…until Kelly Ripa started her club with the “Bachelor”. My aunt and I (I hate to admit this, so don’t hate me) giggled about her book club (my aunt reads books like “the history of flu”
and I voraciously started reading romance fiction. 
Now, that’s all I read 
. Again, don’t hate me. I am so embarassed that I made those comments about romance. If there was a rehab for my humiliation, I would be in it! Should I write a thousand times, ‘I am sorry I said those things”?
Comment by katie — February 19, 2008 @ 10:41 am
No, katie, your penance is to read more romances!!!
Comment by Julie Leto — February 19, 2008 @ 10:51 am
*sigh*
What a wonderful trip down memory lane. I started with Woodiwiss, moved on to Rogers and Lindsey. Loved McBain and Wilde, too. Makes me want to take the day and grab some of those old books off my keeper shelf and start reading again.
Comment by Jaci Burton — February 19, 2008 @ 11:43 am
Good morning Plotmonkeys and Jungle Hoppers,
Okay, I was a late bloomer. I was 16 before I read my first romance and it was The Flame and The Flower in 1972. One of my oldest and dearest friends, Marynell Byne, had gotten a copy–don’t remember where–which she hid from her very puritan mother. Nell would have been appalled down to her maidenly shoes. I remember sitting up in Marynell’s room, while she read it aloud to me and some of our other friends. Honestly folks, I was such an innocent. That story was so titillating I couldn’t believe it.
I didn’t even know what a man’s private parts looked like or what he actually did with them in regard to a woman until a bunch of us were sitting around study hall and someone opened the biology book and there were all those diagrams. I was cool though. I acted like I had known it all along. But inside I was thinking–”Oh. My. God. That can’t be! There’s no way! Uh, uh, no way is a man doing THAT to me!!” This of course happened before the reading session up in Marynell’s room.
It actually stopped there for a while because I lived in a very, very small town in Georgia without a bookstore. Of course the internet was unheard of at that time–for private citizens anyway. The town of Augusta was 30 miles away so you had to go there to do any kind of serious shopping. My mother NEVER went to a bookstore. Money was really tight so if we wanted to read we went to the local library which definitely didn’t have romance novels. Or we read what was required reading in school.
I was encouraged to read mysteries. I can remember the librarian suggesting this mystery for me set at a ski resort–can’t remember the title and I’m positive the librarian didn’t know about this scene in the book–but there was this scene where the protagonist had sex with not one but “two” men–at the same time. Gasp! Whoa! Talk about shocked!
That just blew my mind. It still does to tell you the truth…I wish I could remember who wrote it.
At my second or third job after college, a girl I worked with was reading Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss and that started me reading romance again. Then some more unhappy stuff took place in my life and I wasn’t reading, can’t remember why exactly. I would think that reading would have been an escape for me. I used television instead–Dallas and Dynasty to be exact.
Now here comes a truth that I don’t think I’ve ever admitted to anyone, not even myself–I didn’t read my first Harlequin romances until a few years after I moved to Colorado. I started with Harlequin Presents and read them by the dozen.
Now that I think about it, books were an escape into an imaginary world, a world where dreams came true and my mother didn’t believe in dreams. I was supposed to focus on my school work, learn a skill and get a job somewhere. Period. That’s why I wasn’t reading.
Thankfully, that all changed when I moved to Colorado. I’m still reading romance, plus everything else I can get my hands on and now of course writing romance as well.
I too must thank Kathleen Woodiwiss for writing The Flame and the Flower.
I’ve never heard of Laurie McBain or Pat Wallace. I did read Jennifer Wilde’s Love’s Tender Fury. Can’t remember whether I liked it or not.
Have a terrific day all,
Cher
Comment by Cher — February 19, 2008 @ 11:50 am
I cut my teeth on Bertrice Small’s books. Skye O’Malley was the first romance I ever read.
You should read Love Slave. Talk about an educational book.
My best friend Valerie loaned me her copy. I remember Valerie telling me how nasty the books was and it was written by someone that was a grandmother. That was about 27 years ago.
Then came all of Johanna Lindsey’s A Pirate’s Love.
I am a gonner for any Pirate book. I always have, and always will
Comment by Gigi — February 19, 2008 @ 11:53 am
I have so much catching up to do! I only started reading romance two summers ago.
The first book I read was Carly’s The Bachelor and I was hooked! I read The Flame and the Flower a couple of months ago, and oh my gosh! I loved it. I’ve been making my way through her stories ever since. I also adored A Rose In Winter, Leslie. And The Elusive Flame. I’ll have to make Ashes in the Wind my next one.
Comment by Robin — February 19, 2008 @ 11:53 am
Oh Leslie, you really have brought back some memories of such great, classic romance novels. I remember the first book that sparked that passion to read for me was Yargo by Jacqueline Susann. It was a sci-fi romance which honestly is not my favorite but for some reason this book really appealed to me especially when I learned that the book was found and published after the author had passed away and was really so different from all her other books. Which of course I went on to read. And I must say she really was an amazing author.
I laughed at your dumpster story because it made me remember when I was 16 and worked at Genovese Drug Store, we had a small books and magazine section, and when books didn’t sell covers were ripped off and books tossed, so every Friday before my shift started my manager always let me go through the books and I always went home with bags full….now it would kill me to have a book with no cover but back then I was always grateful for a new book.
Comment by Tina Martinesi — February 19, 2008 @ 12:12 pm
Oh, wow, so many of us seemed to have come from that same “grand era!” Bluecat, Bruce is sitting next to me and he lol’d about Mack Bolan books–just last night, I was trying to talk him into try to write one! (Other authors write those now, kind of like with the V.C. Andrews books.)
and lol Katie–like Julie said. Your penance is to just keep on reading!
Comment by Leslie — February 19, 2008 @ 12:18 pm
Cher, I was right there with you on the anatomy thing. When I finally figured it out, I still could *not* understand hot it worked because in my virginal 13 year old mind, I thought the, ahem, manhood, just stuck straight out! (didn’t quite understand the saying, “get bent”.
Comment by Leslie — February 19, 2008 @ 12:19 pm
I was a really late bloomer! i started reading about 4 years ago. i did not start with a “romance” my sister was reading this book and laughing hysterically and it was Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. I love those books, and then after I stayed up for 5 days straight and read all 10 books I went to the book store and have gone through many many books since. all the Plotmoneys are on my auto buy!!
Comment by Christina — February 19, 2008 @ 12:24 pm
Hello Everyone! I’ve only stopped by here a few times, but this is such a fun topic I had to get involved.
My first ‘adult romance’ book I picked up (and yes I have to clarify because I was SO into the YA romance series’ at the time) was Jude Deveraux’s High Tide. I was 14 or 15 at the time & my mom had joined a book club and I was bored, so I picked it up and read it in an evening. I was hooked! It was such a great mixture of romance and adventure and the writing was spectacular… I immediately went on a Jude Deveraux and Romance book buying spree and have never looked back.
Seeing everyone’s posts and reading all the things I have heard about Kathleen Woodiwiss throughout the years I really wish I had picked up one of her books in the past. Maybe I’ll get around to it someday…
Comment by Mia Rose — February 19, 2008 @ 12:43 pm
Leslie, I didn’t even hear that expression until years after highschool.
I can remember people saying something about a “heart” attack and I thought they were saying “hard” attack. One day this girl said “heart” attack and I asked her, “What is a “hard” attack?”
She about died laughing but I had no idea at the time why she was laughing. When I asked her she just shook her head and kept laughing. I didn’t know what “hard” meant in the male physical sense. We were the same age but she was a heck of a lot more world wise than me. Not sure if that was good or bad.
Cher
Comment by Cher — February 19, 2008 @ 12:52 pm
I have to say, I’ve never heard of any of the authors mentioned in this post. But I’m sure they are amazing books!
I started reading romances about age 13 and I still have the first one I ever read. But my early favorites were Julie Garwood. I live in the Black Hills of South Dakota so it was cool to read about it in The Lion’s Lady. A lot I know about history I learned from those novels. I should really go reread them actually…
Comment by Michelle N — February 19, 2008 @ 2:02 pm
How fun this is and what a great trip down memory lane.
I started reading Trixie Bleden and Nancy Drew. Not quite the romance genre but I secretly wanted Trixie and Jim to become boyfriend and girlfriend. Then I made the switch to any Harlequin book I could from my mom and aunts books. I remember reading she who shall not be named and loved her books. (Can’t/Won’t read them anymore). Then it was on to Kathleen Woodiwiss’s, Joanna Lindsey, Nora Roberts, Judith McNaught and several others.
Comment by Vicki — February 19, 2008 @ 2:07 pm
Leslie and Julie: I have read more romance than you want to know (have you noticed how much fatter your wallet is since I have been buying your books??) Hubby is tired of finding books around the house and we have stacks and stacks to go to the goodwill….I think we can start our own bookstore, here.
Comment by katie — February 19, 2008 @ 2:19 pm
LOL! Love you guys!
Comment by katie — February 19, 2008 @ 2:19 pm
I started reading around the 9th grade after that I would always have 4 or five books in class with me reading.
So anyway I bought the whole collection and loved them all. My mother still doesnt understand why I waste money on ’stupid books” If she read those she would understand *eye roll*I had a niehbor who would give me all her books after she read them so I guess that how I happened to start reading romance.
The first book i can remember reading that made me go WOW I want to read more was VC Andrews Flowers in the Attic. It was twisted and incessed but hey it was sad and touching. After you get past the brother and sister love its good.
Comment by nancy — February 19, 2008 @ 2:44 pm
Johanna Lindsey’s Mallory series hooked me. Actually, my romance training wheels came in the form of YA fiction by Jean Ferris: Into the Wind and the other 2 in that trilogy. JL was my first real romance. And I was hooked…
Great books.
Comment by Cail — February 19, 2008 @ 2:46 pm
Leslie, How I love this topic! I came to reading Romance very late in life. As a kid I read all the Alcotts, Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drews, Anne of Green Gables, the Terhune horse series, etc. While a senior in HS, I still read 20 books a week for personal enjoyment. Then, came work, marriage & a mentally-retarded daughter (& later son) who took all my time. My husband read the John D. MacDonalds, so, I read them afterwards, but, my heart wasn’t into them. Then, single parenthood, fulltime work & no time again. At retirement, I went to the library for reading material, but, it didn’t carry many PBs. I read all of the Krentz’ HCs, & started on the Romance hunt at the local library UB sales. What a treat! I found the SIM Brockmann SEALs, the Temptations (still crying with their demise) & the early Blazes. Other than the 4 of you, my “whole backlist” favorites are: Sharon & Tom Curtis (aka Robin James) with SUNSHINE & SHADOW, 2nd Chances, THE TESTIMONY & THE GOLDEN TOUCH, & their Loveswept, LIGHTNING THAT LINGERS; Kathleen Korbel, especially, A ROSE FOR MAGGIE; Ruth Wind (aka Barbara Samuel), especially, IN THE MIDNIGHT RAIN & BEAUTIFUL STRANGER; Justine Davis, especially, A MORNING SIDE OF DAWN; & a relatively new-to-me author, Kathryn Shay, especially, SOMEONE TO BELIEVE IN (one of the best Contemporaries I’ve ever read). All of the foregoing authors write touching, in-depth, & relationship stories. Books where the H/H face difficult issues on the road to each other. Simple, but, apparently, hard to write, since not many do it now. I also love SEP’s books, &, they entertain me, wonderfully, but, don’t touch me as do the others mentioned. I know I’ve missed some others, as I’ve read around 800 books since retirement. To you writers, I want to say how much I appreciate your headaches, deadlines, hardwork & struggles to write what gives me so much pleasure. Thanks to all of you.
Comment by Patricia — February 19, 2008 @ 3:18 pm
I read one of Nora Roberts books for my first adult romance novel. It was one of my mom’s silhouettes. I had read lots of YA romance by that point, but I think my mom let me read Nora at 12(almost 13). I know it was one of the Irish books, and I’m not sure if it was the first she published or one of her later books. I never stopped reading romance after that first book. My grandmother and her friends would get their books in each month and give them to me once they were finished reading. I didn’t get into the longer title romance until I was in high school and found Jude Deveraux’s Velvet series. Now I have to give away books to the library a couple of times a year I buy and read so many romance books.
Comment by Liza — February 19, 2008 @ 3:26 pm
Since I have always read I don’t have any idea when I started on romance! Back in the day when I was growing up there was no television!! Yes, no it wasn’t the dark ages just no television. I lived in a valley & of course there was no such thing as cable. Our area finally got TV when I was around 12 & my folks bought our first TV when I was 13. It was a really big deal, we had one channel, you either watched or you didn’t. By then my reading habit was well established & I just kept reading although now I also watched TV. There were some great “playhouse” type shows on then that were very good! I loved the Bobbsey Twins, those were great books for kids they lead me into YA romance books. I think there was an author Rosemary Du Jardin, or something like that! These lead to other romance type books. In 1980 my husband & I split up and someone gave me some HQ books to read which lead me to subscribe to the Temptation line which I loved & still miss. I did used to read a lot of Historical romance but rarely do anymore. I read Victoria Holt, Johanna Lindsey, Fern Michaels series on the pirates loved those books. My world has expanded to include all the Plotmonkeys, Blaze, Jill Shalvis, Nora Roberts, Suzanne Brockmann & on & on. The list is to much to long to continue naming. Thanks Leslie for memories!! Romance books were a wonderful diversion from life while going through my divorce & other not fun things in life. They have brought me much enjoyment through the years. To all authors, I thank you.
Comment by Donna M — February 19, 2008 @ 3:46 pm
First off–welcome Mia! Glad you decided to jump in…please feel free to stick around!
And oh, yeah, these names are bringing back such memories. I loved the Trixie Beldon books and wanted Trixie & Jim together too!! And Flowers in the Attic-yep yep! LOVED those books. Though, by the last one when the sister & brother are, like, married or something, I finally got squicked out for good.
Does anybody remember the “Dark Shadows” books? They were not the same as the Dark Shadows TV show (which I also loved as a kid–I heard that’s out on DVD but I’m almost scared to watch it, don’t want my memories ruined!)
I loved the gothics, too. I still have almost all of Victoria Holt’s books in hardcover. The Pride of the Peacock and Devil on Horseback were my favorites. And I loved Mary Stewart’s Touch Not The Cat. Phyllis Whitney’s Thunder Heights was an absolute fave.
I also remember when I was a teenager that these bad-teenage-girl-in-jeopardy books were really popular. I remember being totally freaked out by one called Run Shelly, Run. And Maybe I’ll Come Home In The Spring.
Comment by Leslie — February 19, 2008 @ 3:50 pm
I started with Sci-fi first (once I got out of the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys stuff) with Anne McCaffrey’s The White Dragon. I was 8 or 9. Then I headed towards mystery with Dell Shannon. Then I found Woodiweiss. I think I was about 12 too.
I still read all those genres.
and don’t feel bad about the dumpster diving. We worked there and managed to sneak some out too.
Comment by ev — February 19, 2008 @ 4:35 pm
Hello to all,
Great discussion! My reading history in a nutshell: Secret Garden, Westerns, Mary Stewart, Woodiwiss,
McBain, Cartland, Early Mills and Boon authors , Early Harlequin authors! Now: Romance, Historical
Romances, Regency, Mystery, Suspense.
Pat Cochran
Comment by Patricia Cochran — February 19, 2008 @ 5:03 pm
I remember the first time I read Shanna by Woodiwiss. I was hooked!!! And then when I read Ashes in the Wind I cried when I finished so I went back to the beginning and started reading it again. And yes, I cried again!
Comment by Carol R — February 19, 2008 @ 5:07 pm
I have a hard time remembering book titles. I started out with Barbara Cartland, went to Georgette Heyer, Woodiwiss and on to Bertrice Small.
Comment by Estella — February 19, 2008 @ 5:22 pm
Patricia, my daughter and I are reading Secret Garden right now! I actually never read it (saw every version of the film, however) and I really love it. I’m glad we’re sharing this experience.
Leslie, like you, I was a huge Cynthia Wright fan. I’d love to find her books again and see if they are as magical this time around.
My first romance was Captive Bride by Johanna Lindsay. I also loved an author named DeeAnn Patrick, which was two women writing together. Kindred Spirits was my favorite book of theirs. I think they only wrote two, however. They always wrote two heroines/two heroes in their books.
Comment by Julie Leto — February 19, 2008 @ 5:24 pm
I was 14 when I first started reading romance. My mom had always been a reader and she gave me Jude Deveraux’s The Princess, from there I was hooked. I also am a huge fan of The Flame and the Flower, it is one of my all time favorites. I also loved Garwood and McNaught.
Comment by Kathryn — February 19, 2008 @ 6:19 pm
It wasn’t so much the author, but the series. I started reading romance in high school, right around my freshman-sophomore year. The YA stuff was too boring, so I decided to upgrade. I was addicted to Silhouette Desire and Loveswept. I was reading the Harlequins Superromance, too. And then Harlequin Blaze came along and Superromance was out. I still read Silhouette Desire, but not as much as HQ Blaze.
I don’t remember when I started branching off and reading outside the series’ books. I started finding other authors who would wrote series about family members (like Lori Foster) or members of an elite organization (Alison Kent) and I look for their books when I can. I have several of Sandra Hill, Lori Foster, Deirdre Knight, etc.
I don’t have a favorite romance author. But again, my fav series is HQ Blaze. I look forward to reading their stuff every month.
Comment by Celise — February 19, 2008 @ 6:24 pm
Julie, you can find Cynthia Wright’s books on Amazon. :-)
Cher
Comment by Cher — February 19, 2008 @ 6:26 pm
Yeah, but for how much???
Welcome, Mia!
katie, we love you, too!
Comment by Julie Leto — February 19, 2008 @ 6:29 pm
I was young but I was reading teen romance like sweet valley high but I did read some Danielle Steele.I even wanted to write my own book I would sit down and start and then think how did they get the books so long I still have a folder with all of my writings.this lasted untill 18 then I went to cosmetology school and by the time I was 21 I had moved from my small town and made up for lost time in the real dating scene then I settled down and had kids so the time to read with working and a family wasn’t there (besides gossip magazines) lol after moving to Florida I had stopped working and my kids were older so I found myself looking in the book section at walmart I had bought books before thinking I would find time so I wasn’t convinced I’d actually read the book once I did I couldn’t stop I have been reading non stop it was like the dam burst and the love I had for reading came flooding through I read almost 1 book every 2 days. I have been going through authors and reading everything they have written. and have written a little too.
Comment by Michele — February 19, 2008 @ 6:34 pm
I think I checked out every Harlequin Romance in the local library twice! I too started reading romance when I was about 12. I never stopped loving them and now I write them. Who knew?
Comment by Beth — February 19, 2008 @ 7:06 pm
Oh My Gosh, I forgot about the Sweet Valley High books…I loved those….(don’t tell anyone I told you), but my college roommie used to still read those (in college). Danielle Steele….loved her too when I was overseas….got my mom hooked on those (she still reads them)…too tame for me, now…that sounds really bad….I just got for Christmas (seriously, I just put them on my wish list when I saw it) the Danielle Steele movies from the 80s…love them still, big shoulder pads and all!
Comment by katie — February 19, 2008 @ 7:19 pm
Leslie and Bruce, I wish I had kept all those books, or even had a list. The books were traded for other books, sold at yard sales, and given away over the years. I forgot to add that among that first set of books was Johanna Lindsay’s Captive. It was the first of her books I ever read.
Comment by bluecat — February 19, 2008 @ 10:31 pm
Leslie, great topic…I started reading romance when I was around 10 or 11…my mom used to read Mills & Boone…I think it was a precursor to Harlequin and I would read with her…can’t remember the titles of many books, but I remember some of the authors…Anne Mather, Betty Neels, Anne MacAllister, Diane Palmer, Linda Jackson…that’s all I could think of right now…my fav was Betty Neels and Anne Mather…I also read Shanna, it was one of my favorites for a very long time…then I discovered Harlequin Superromances while I was in 6th grade…I would read about 6 books every three or four days…It is a miracle I got any school work done…Then Jude Devereaux, entered my life…started with Highland Velvet, Velvet Song and there is another one, can’t remember…My fav by her was Knight in Shining Armor…I then got into Danielle Steele, prefere her older stuff and later Joanna Lindsay came along and I read Silver Angel…I think, not certain, she wrote that one…
This topic really threw me back…I can even remember going to the library, back when I actually went there to borrow books…to pick up my books…I had a problem though…If I liked the book, I didn’t give them back…I know that was bad of me, but what I would do was take 8 or 10 of my mom’s Harlequin (small ones) and give them to the library in exchange for the three or four that I kept…my mom didn’t figure anything out, because she never re-read books…If I didn’t like them, they were prime replacements for those I kept from the library…Victoria Holt and Barbara Cartland were authors that I liked too…
I could go on and on, but as you can see…it is late…talk to you all later…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Comment by Paula R. — February 20, 2008 @ 12:15 am
I remember the first romances I ever read. I was a freshman in high school and I had this friend Missy who was hooked. She kept getting me book themed gifts and since i LOVED to read, I gave them a try. The first books I ever read were Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and the Jude Deveraux novels. The very first JD I remember reading was “A Knight in Shining Armor”. I also vividly remember the “Lady” trilogy and how the men were so arrogant I wanted to throttle them until they came to their senses in like the last 2 chapters.
Of course, I’ve since moved on to contemporaries, Harlequins and definitely paranormals, but I’ll always remember my “firsts”.
Comment by Diana — February 20, 2008 @ 12:44 am
I loved Gabaldon’s books too…I have them all…well, all the ones that is in some way related to Claire and Jaime…
Peace and love,’
Paula R.
Comment by Paula R. — February 20, 2008 @ 10:29 am
Hello,
I love romance/fantasy and have for years. I am hoping that some of you or one of you has remembered reading the following.
I am looking for a fantasy/romance. It involves Pisces/mermaids/mermen and a war with a dark mage Capricorn/Sagittarius on top of a mountain. The first chapter is with these beautiful silver-haired merfolk and their breathtaking kingdom. They are lovers. Chapter Two-the evil mage on the mountain separates the lovers and tries to destroy the beautiful kingdom under the sea.
Chapter Three: It’s a kind of Astrological war between the Pisces signs (merfolk) and the Sagittarius/Cancer people.
I can’t remember the names of the characters, author, publisher, name of the book or anything else about it.
Except the cover. Beautiful blues, greens, lavender; a kind of pastel rainbow on a soft sea. There were two merfolk swimming with white hair. It was such a gorgeous book. I loved it and got rid of it. Now I want it back.
Does anyone remember?
Thanks
8Belles
Comment by Laura T. Brooks — May 7, 2008 @ 8:48 am
Hi! This is my first visit here, and I must say, I know I’ll be back! I vicariously enjoyed reading everyone’s rememberances. (is that a word?) Anyway, I am looking for a book and perhaps someone here can help. It is for a dear friend and I vaguely remember the cover. (It looked like it was done in watercolors, with an embossed symbol - astrological? in the middle and in the lower right corner were like mer-people in a jade color. It felt like water to look at it. If that makes sense.) It is classified sci-fi/fantasy/romance, published somewhere around 1991-2001, similar in style and content to “House of Scorpio”. I sure hope someone can remember the author or remembers it, so that I don’t feel like I dreamed it all up. Thank you so much for your time.
Comment by CindyAnne — June 18, 2008 @ 11:48 pm