https://static.pexels.com/photos/373465/pexels-photo-373465.jpeg
I’m an English and Comparative Literature double major, so I find myself reading all sorts of novels and works. Many of these pieces are actually pretty interesting and I find myself reading them multiple times. This summer, I had a small break and I found myself selecting books that were not necessarily educational, but more for fun than anything else.
I traveled to the section of the library and bookstores I always find empty: the Romance section! The idea that people who read romance are lonely, desperate, and uneducated is quite astounding. The majority of romance readers are educated, professional people who simply want something to read that’s pleasurable.
I actually asked my librarian at the library by my house how popular Romance novels are and what audience consistently checked/requested these books out. Interestingly enough, it’s people (not just women) between the ages of 16-35 who request these books online. While there seems to be no definitive grouping when it comes to selecting books at the library, I was also told that men will often read the books at the library. They won’t check them out of the library.
Now, onto the book and author recommendations if you’re starting the journey into the world of Romance.
If you’re looking for a book with Drama and Survival:
The Duchess, by Danielle Steel
One of my current favorites is written by Danielle Steel. This is a book of betrayal, survival, and karma. The setup of the story is a young woman, Angelique Latham. From an English society, Angelique has been cast out of her high class family after the death of her father because of her father’s relationship with her mother. Angelique is forced to live as a servant in England, for a family her half-brother had already promised a servant before the death of their father. After being accused of being a thief, she is cast out of that home as well and she journeys to France to find a new family to serve since there’s no way she’d be hired in a home in England. Once she get’s to France she finds herself in a situation and helps a young prostitute get away from an abusive madame. That’s when an idea clicks and she finds herself becoming a madame and runs an exclusive gentleman’s club for the elite and wealthy. As her fortune and fame continues to grow, Angelique is given the nickname of the Duchess, something that points to her secret past that she hopes never comes to light. The ending of this novel is one of my favorites and the way the character’s interact with one another and show their emotions is what makes this book hard to put down!
Danielle Steel creates novels full of passion, heartbreak, and drama that keeps me reading to all hours of the night, and when I finish a novel, it’s almost as if I was a fly on the wall throughout the novel’s journey. Her novels do tend to be a tad repetitive, in the sense that they’re generally about rich upper class families and some of the situations aren’t relatable to me, but I still find myself interested in her novels!
If you’re looking for a series of books that tug at your heartstrings and have HEA’s (Happily Ever After endings) read:
The MacKade Brother’s by Nora Roberts
There are four books in the series, and each book corresponds to each brother. My favorite has to be the story of Devin and Cassie, The Heart of Devin MacKade. It’s such a sweet, heartfelt, and passionate story of lost love and finding a happily ever after with someone who treasures the love shared. These are very family based books. All of the brothers are present in one another’s lives and the stories within these four books all deal with pain, finding acceptance, and family. I don’t want to get into too much detail, but these books are one of my favorite series by Nora Roberts, (but then again I love the majority of her books) and I hope you all can find a series you can read over and over! The Amazon Kindle bundle is currently $15.99, each e-book is $5.99 except for the last one, which is $6.99! Getting the bundle is by far the better choice here.
If you’re looking for a more sensual, violent and faster awakening to romance/erotic arts, an author who will deliver is: Laurell K. Hamilton, known for her Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series and Merry Gentry Series, both are paranormal series. (Picture is of one of my copies of the Graphic Novels. Circus of the Damned is book three in the Anita Blake series).
My favorite series from her is the Anita Blake Vampire series, which was my actual introduction to sensual books. These books are very detailed when it comes to characters and their backstory, as well as the violence when it comes to Anita’s job as a paranormal executioner. The sensuality comes from the vampire lords that rule each section of America and surrounding countries. The first couple books aren’t explicitly sexual, that comes later on in the series, which I appreciate because I liked the mental transformation that Anita goes through prior to any sexual contact with other characters. Some advice: read these books in order. I read the 15th book in the series and middle-school-me was quite surprised and just overall scandalized by the book I found at Costco for $10 at that time (I still have the sticker on the book). That book was in one word: pandemonium. I think I was 16 when I finally decided to give the series and author another try. That time I started with book one, Guilty Pleasures, and I fell in love with Anita and her vampire killing, zombie reanimation, and overall bad-ass-ness! Again, these books become very sexual and deal with all types of situations including rape, murder, and abuse. LKH is one of those authors that does need time to get used to, but her works are very detailed and paint a clear picture of what’s being told through the story. If you like horror, suspense and vampires, this may be up your alley.
If you have any suggestions for me and or comments, tweet me! @EnhaCatPhasma