The Toast discussion

The How To Tell If You Are In a Regency Romance Novel post and accompanying comment thread a while back sent me on a romance spree. I used to look down on it (okay, I read the sexy bits of my mom's romance novels when I was a kid) but now I'm too old and wise to be a snob and I love pretty much all genre fiction.

I'd love to keep getting recommendations of Toastie-approved romance novels and authors here! I'll start with some of my favorites I've read as a result of everyone's great recommendations:

A Week to Be Wicked (loved this whole series, but this was my favorite)
Romancing the Duke
Flowers from the Storm
Lessons in French
Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart

OOOHHHHH. Thanks for starting this topic.

Courtney Milan's Suffragette Scandal! All of Courtney Milan, really.

Plus, look at her really cool tumblr. http://ask-a-man.tumblr.com/

I have more recs, but I will try to restrain myself for now.

Also Jeannie Lin's The Sword Dancer. Tang dynasty China, swordfighting, cat and mouse games. So good.

(HALP! I can't stop myself from posting.)

Seconding Courtney Milan! I also like Eloisa James' Desperate Duchess series and Anna Cowan's Untamed.

I like pretty much every word Joanna Bourne writes. Especially The Black Hawk

Also wholeheartedly seconding Courtney Milan & Sarah MacLean, if we're still on Regency stuff. Other historical - I like Beverly Jenkins for all the stuff she does set in the Americas.

My fav paranormal (not that I read a lot of that) is Thea Harrison - her Elder Races series.

Contemporary!! Oh, so many. The pantheon: Kristan Higgins, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jill Shalvis.

Also Shannon Stacey, Kieran Kramer, Laura Kaye, Robin Covington. And so many more.

(I read a lot of books. Like, a LOT. About 1/3-1/2 is romance, usually Historical or Contemporary Long, so I have a lot of recommendations, if you're looking for anything specific.) (Contemp Long is as opposed to Contemp Short / Category, which is like the Harlequin "The Tycoon's Pregnant Bride" things.)

Min, Courtney Milan's tumblr looks fantastic. She's next on my list to try for sure. I have The Heiress Effect to read ... as soon as I finish The Black Hawk. I may have developed a Problem....

Doesn't sound like a problem to me. :)

Like just about everyone else, I enjoy Courtney Milan's books greatly. I also really like Sherry Thomas, Kate Noble, Cecilia Grant, Jeannie Lin, Caroline Linden, and Lyn Cote. One of the best historicals I've read recently (very short, but very good) was Alyssa Cole's Agnes Moor's Wild Knight.

I love Sarah MacLean. Especially the Rules of Scoundrels series - and not just for the punny titles. A Rogue by Any Other Name, Every Good Earl Deserves a Lover, No Good Duke Goes Unpunished and the last one, which I haven't read yet but I'm really looking forward to, Never Judge a Lady by her Cover.

Rose Lerner is pretty great too. In for a Penny is just ok, but I really liked her other books.

Ah! I just read Courtney Milan's Trade Me today. I don't believe I've ever read romance (unless you count, like, Clan of the Cave Bears?) but I enjoyed this one and really, really appreciated the diversity and the thoughtful treatment i.e. non-fetishization of the Asian main female character, her (view spoiler)[trans (hide spoiler)] roommate, and more. I might be getting into the romance genre. Toast what have you done!?

Okay, I finally read Courtney Milan's The Heiress Effect and OH MY GOD

Also, Tessa Dare's Say Yes to the Marquess was pretty great.

I love the fact that a lot of Courtney Milan's books are about ways that the hero can help the heroine's true greatness shine through.

Say Yes to the Marquess is sort of along those lines, too. Also, someone upthread mentioned Kate Noble. Let It Be Me is a good one.

You guys have already covered my favorite historicals, so here are the contemporaries I've been crushing on:

Laura Florand - all set in France, mostly Paris, with men who make chocolate and grow roses and women who are used to getting what they want.

Kat Latham - Rugby playing heroes, women with great careers.

Sarah Mayberry - hot. UK/Australia settings.

Ilona Andrews - Paranormal with ass kicking ladies.

Meljean Brooks - steampunk with diverse leads.

Jill Shalvis - has a series with vets and an animal rescue and dogs dogs dogs.

Julie James - attorneys and FBI agents.

Ruthie Knox

Oh, and more historicals- Elizabeth Hoyt's Maiden Lane series are amazing- late 1700s London, most main characters are not aristocratic.

Beauty and the Bounty Hunter - She's the bounty hunter, he's the beauty. Western.

Oh yeah! Let's talk about contemporaries and paranormal! Faye, I like everyone on this list (and Elizabeth Hoyt is a favorite too. She also writes contemporaries under a different name.).

Love Laura Florand and Kat Latham. Ruthie Knox's About Last Night is one of my all-time favorite books, as is Meljean's Kraken King.

Recently I've really enjoyed Kelly Hunter (What a Bride Wants and The Honeymoon Trap), Avril Tremayne (From Fling to Forever), Jenny Holiday (Saving the CEO [I know, I know, a CEO book, but it's very good.]), and Zoe Archer (Skies of Gold).

And Rebekah Weatherspoon's Fit series really well done and has a wide variety of POC characters.

Oh wow I thought I was the only one who knew about Kat Latham! She's great. I've been hearing so much about the new Laura Florand, too - it's on my list.

Ruthie Knox is hit or miss with me, but when she hits, BOY does she hit.

I loooove Elizabeth Hoyt's historicals but her contemporaries didn't grab me so much. (Same goes for Courtney Milan's New Adult - Trade Me - it's totally good, of course, but since I learned how to do backflips so I could do backflips whenever she has a new historical out, it didn't meet my expectations.)

Yes! Min, have you read Zoe Archer's late Victorian(?) steampunky ones? I can't remember the name of the series but they had some cool settings. The last one didn't live up to my expectations but it was a fun series!

Melanie, Kat Latham is so great! I had a great surprise this week because I forgot that I had preordered her latest.

And the new Laura Florand realllllly worked for me. The hero was just adorable.

Melanie wrote: "Oh wow I thought I was the only one who knew about Kat Latham! She's great. I've been hearing so much about the new Laura Florand, too - it's on my list.

Ruthie Knox is hit or miss with me, but w..."

I've been putting off reading Trade Me for that reason... I loved her historical stuff just SO MUCH and I fear nothing can live up to it. But I recently listened to an interview with her and decided she's rad enough that I owe it a shot, at least. As a romance noob, that'll be my first foray into contemporary stuff, but I'm excited to check out some of these other recommendations!

Faye wrote: "Oh, and more historicals- Elizabeth Hoyt's Maiden Lane series are amazing- late 1700s London, most main characters are not aristocratic.

Beauty and the Bounty Hunter..."

Ooh, yes! I just read Darling Beast and it was pretty enjoyable.

Faye wrote: "You guys have already covered my favorite historicals, so here are the contemporaries I've been crushing on:

Laura Florand - all set in France, mostly Paris, with men who make choco..."

Aaaand I'm going to attach my e-reader to my face. So long, family...

Carolyn, I am so excited for you. They are insanely delicious!

I know they are trade paperbacks, but I consider Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series to be absolutely romance novels and I adore them to pieces. Some are definitely better than others- Betrayal of the Blood Lily is one of my favorites since the heroine is not a virgin.

I loved Blood Lilly!

Adding to the list of historicals Toasties will probably love- everything by Rose Lerner.

I've just discovered Georgette Heyer, who writes regency romances that are basically Jane-Austen-lite. I'm now addicted (and also hoping to use the phrase "on dit" in casual conversation).

And if you like Elizabeth Hoyt and Courtney Milan you may also like Eloisa James - her fairy tale series is delightful.

xenu01, I've had Pink Carnation on my list for awhile; I think I'll bump it up!

I read my first Rose Lerner last month & it was delicious!

I've been burning through Alisha Rai's contemporaries - I really like Serving Pleasure and A Gentleman in the Street.

Who wants to gush about the latest Courtney Milan historical with me??? The use of mansplaining as an obvious way to prevent affection! The gay working class swans in a committed relationship! The serious appreciation for bread! This one checked so many of my boxes.

Faye wrote: "Who wants to gush about the latest Courtney Milan historical with me??? The use of mansplaining as an obvious way to prevent affection! The gay working class swans in a committed relationship! The ..."

I see I have READING TO DO! Yippee!

Faye wrote: "Who wants to gush about the latest Courtney Milan historical with me??? The use of mansplaining as an obvious way to prevent affection! The gay working class swans in a committed relationship! The ..."

It's SO GOOD! A series conflict built around the Opium Wars!

Ooooof I bought it but haven't read it yet. Can't wait!