I’ve read the occasional romance novel over the years, to greater or lesser degrees of enjoyment but never really been captured. I’m caught now, though! I think I needed some Courtney Milan in my life.
After reading many reviews here at CBR I decided to take the plunge. I read Unclaimed in an evening. The next day I read Unraveled, the next day I moved on to The Duchess War (because it was free) then A Kiss for Midwinter. I can’t remember the last time I zipped through series so quickly. I’m basing this review on the 4 books in 2 different series that I’ve read so far.
I won’t review each book individually, they’ve all been reviewed here so many times. There are tropes that I can see even in my shallow experience of Romance, which you are all much more familiar with than I. The hero and heroine are very attracted but kept apart by some plot contrivance which they inevitably overcome to live happily ever after. Tropes are fine. I read mystery novels all the time and they also follow predictable structures. The enjoyment is in the characterizations ad writing, for me. I can re-read a mystery novel that I love, knowing the solution the whole time and still love it.
What I enjoyed was how Milan worked within the structures. I take it that she is not typical, and maybe that’s why my previous genre reads didn’t appeal? I really liked that her feminism dripped from every page. I know it probably isn’t “historically accurate” that all her heroes wanted equality with their partners, but if I’m reading escapist literature, I don’t need that kind of accuracy.
Her characters were all terrific. So realized and complex and interesting and ADULT. Not like, sexy-adult (although I did like that, oh yeah baby) but they were fully-functioning adult people who were dealing with their shit, not waiting to be “fixed” by their One True Love. I am a single lady in her 40s, I have no interest in reading about delicate flowers being seduced by handsome useless dudes. These were people that had serious reasons to resist falling for each other, not just Because Plot, but psychological and emotional issues to work out. I loved that for the most part, the women and the men were all “damaged” but had found ways to cope and survive before they ever met their match. To quote Dan Savage: you don’t have to be perfect but you do have to be in good working order.
Favourite Romance Man= Smite Turner. I may be revealing too much, but that darkness appeals, you guys. He turned his childhood abuse and PTSD into Justice. le sigh.
Favourite Romance Lady= Minerva Lane. She was so extraordinary and she had to make herself so small. What a character!
So now that I read Romance, what else should I read, oh Ladies of Love? ;)
Yay! Courtney Milan is my fave romance author. And hell yes, Smite is the dreamiest Turner man.
You might like Milan’s contemporary novel Trade Me. It’s my favorite of hers. Also, a lot of cannonballers have really enjoyed Sarina Bowen’s The Ivy Years series (except #5). If you like feminist romances, they’re really great.
I’m starting a list…
Sarina Bowen, check.
Thx!
God knows I read so many “delicate flowers being seduced by handsome useless dudes” romances in the 90s. I think the genre as a whole has moved away from that, or I have been extraordinarily lucky in my reading. For strong, feminist writing I highly recommend: Sarah MacLean, Sherry Thomas and Cecilia Grant. I do think Milan is the best, but I can’t think of a title I’ve read by these three that weren’t strong. Beth Ellen and I have a blog where we cross post our romance reviews we do here, and we keep a running list of everything we have read and highlight our favorites, if you’re interested: https://amarriageofconvenience.wordpress.com/
(Fun fact: I read so many of those garbage style romances in the 90s and can’t possibly remember them, so they have been completely left off the list. If it’s an older title that made the list it had something to recommend it to my memory after 20 years).
I am very interested in a curated list of books to read, thanks a billion!
Now all I need is a space-time warping device to have more time to read all these new books, anyone got one of those?
No space/time warping device, but Mrs. Julien has some helpful articles on her site. Here is one to get you started. https://mrsjulien.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/so-you-want-to-read-a-historical-romance/
Oh I’ve been all over Mrs Julien’s site. It’s almost overwhelming how much content there is. I probably need to ignore the squishies even more in order to concentrate on my reading.
Guidance or suggestions for ways to organize it better are welcome.
If you tell us want kind of book you want (what is your willingness to suspend your disbelief, how my [insert funky bass line] do you want, do you care if it’s historical or contemporary etc. I bet we can hook you up. Courtney Milan is an excellent starting point, but like John Le Carre for spy novels, she is the top of the heap and finding stuff as good as hers can be challenging.
There are only two kinds of women (victims of circumstance and wallflowers) and two kinds of men (protectors and rakes) and about 6 or 7 plots.
Ooh, I have a list just for novellas, too:
https://mrsjulien.wordpress.com/2015/09/14/ten-great-romance-novellas-to-get-you-started/
Thank you! I feel like I don’t even know enough to know what else I want to know. Poking around your site was wonderfully illuminating. There is so much! It’s exciting.
Having started with the peak might be an issue. I think I like historical? I liked that aspect, I think it made suspending disbelief easier because it was all a little fantastical. I liked the balance of sexy bits with emotional bits in the Milan books…. I think so far the men have been protectors, maybe I need to try some rakes.
(There are only 6-7 mystery plots too, and I’ve read 100s of those over the years so that doesn’t bother me. It’s all in the technique anyway.)
emmalita recommended Carla Kelly to me. She rights historicals without lords or ladies. In general, they are military men and women who need a chance in life. You are making me think again about making a list of the major themes in authors’ works, as in what is the through line for them. Hmmm.
A list of major themes would be great! I think when you read a lot of the same author their themes become clear and that’s what brings you back. Knowing that they will explore what interests you in a way that will challenge and entertain.
Ask and ye shall receive.
https://mrsjulien.wordpress.com/2016/03/20/romance-authors-and-their-themes/
No surprise to get such fast results from you, Mrs J! ;) thanks.
!!!! You’re amazing. So excited to dig into this.
Smite! I love him and Miranda so much. Meredith Duran’s novels are also well worth checking out – with the exception of At Your Pleasure, which is dreadful.
Thanks for the rec and the warning. It’s good to know what to avoid too!
Meredith Duran is an excellent one – she writes character driven romance. Malin is our romance spirit guide around here.
Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton books are an excellent
gateway drugintroduction to the genre. She’s light and very witty.Bridgertons. I find Quinn to be near Milan levels as far as writing interesting characters who are generally grownups. Especially books 3 and 4.
I’ve also enjoyed Tessa Dare, but go to Malin or Mrs. Julien’s websites for a comprehensive list of which to read and which to skip. :)
Thanks!
I guess the kids are going feral now. I’ve got too much to read! :)
This is great. Your reviews have really caught my eye, as it seems we might have similar tastes (while still all over the place…I don’t stick to one genre). I read Locked In on your rec, and added another to my TBR.
I’m not a romance reader for many of the reasons that you listed, so this sounds like a good opportunity for me, and Milan is on the list that the lovely CBR romance crew has recommended. Yay for community!
(Until then I am unapologetically going to DEVOUR Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes).
Ha! Thanks, I’d curtsy now that I’m all about that romance life but it doesn’t really work in yoga pants. ;)
My tastes are very eclectic. I’m not committed to any particular genre but I don’t have a lot of time to read so I need a book to capture and maintain my interest pretty much immediately if I’m going to actually finish it. Which is why reading this many books all at once was so great.
Now I have to go look at Hidden Bodies…
You inspired me! Today, I took care of a whole bunch of blog clean up, including updating my recommendations list, that I had been putting off for a while. Thanks! I know my ones of readers will be very grateful.
That’s some quality Spring cleaning!
:)
So…..I’m trying to compile a database of all the books read and reviewed here on CBR. Did you read all of both the Brothers Sisters and Turner series? According to Wikipedia, that’s 13 books.
I’m a little confused as to what to put for you, here.
Turner Series: Unclaimed and Unraveled.
Brothers Sinister: The Duchess War and A Kiss For Midwinter.
Sorry I couldn’t figure out how to get them all in the book title bar so I put them in the body of the review but I can see how that is harder when compiling. :)
Riiight….I don’t know how I missed that in your review. Thanks!
I hope you are going to publish this when it’s done! It vastly appeals to the part of me that is OCD.
I’ve been publishing monthly updates on the Facebook page, with a general breakdown of stats (most read books, authors, genres, etc).
I’m having to play catch-up this month, because I got real busy with life-stuff over the last couple weeks. I should be caught up in time to post on April 1. Now I just need to get caught up on CBR 6 and 7, so I can get a more comprehensive look at what we’ve been reading.
I’m so happy you liked Courtney Milan, she’s amazing! I notice no one’s recommended Julie Anne Long yet, she’s absolutely my fave. Very clever writing and the characters are just to die for
I’m adding to the list! :)