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At the Bride Hunt Ball by Olivia Parker I read this and I would like to say thank you for the recomendation!
It was a cute, light read and I really did enjoy the fact that there weren't any major misunderstandings.
I was surprised that Olivia Parker hasn't written anything else..
I read it as an ebook so I didn't have to deal with the cover =D This is a nice story, I'm done reading it.

I really love Julia Quinn's novels/stories too :) Hi, really nice story. Well done. It was pleasure to read it. Many thanks On Regency characters that act as furnaces Perhaps all those layers conduct/cause heat? I would agree with dance's logic. And remember, the heroes are always so intensely masculine and sexual that they are constantly exuding a powerful aura of sexual magnetism. This could be mistaken for warmth lol I’m with Gabrielle. Those heroes are supposed to ooze so much hotness that any female in a 20 yard radius around will burn! lol I just don't get why they have to feel the heat at all. We get they're alive you know LOL I think it's the whole idea of the "forbidden" under constrictive etiquette rules. To touch the wrist between the glove and sleeve, or to see the "shapely" ankle...that was risque. Maybe it's a combination of the heat of the male and the flush the female gets knowing she is doing something illicit and exciting.

Personally, I think my husband is pretty hot and when he puts his hand at the small of my back, I can feel my whole back from neck to butt warm up. Plus, the back of his knees are really good at warming my cold toes up at night. When the duke returns I feel as though I should like EJ's books more than I actually do but quite often they don't fully work for me! I always tend to be more interested in the background romance than in the main characters. That's the way I feel too, Marg. I like EJ's writing in general, but often I find she writes a good 3/4 of a story and then loses the plot or something. It just seldom hits all the emotional notes I would like it to.

I still buy and read her books, though. I haven't read this latest one yet, but it's on the TBR shortlist. This is next on my list, right now I am finishing Cathy Maxwell's A Seduction at Christmas and loving it. As for EJ, I have most of her books and she is one of the romance authors I try to pick up each book she writes. I thought the book was really good at the beginning and then went to pieces toward the middle. The end was just OK IMO.

I'm really looking forward to reading Jemma and Beaumont. So tight, so big, so warm and wet Thank God- I thought it was just me that couldn't feel the all powerful baby-making gush. I know my husband was wondering why I kept quizzically looking at his little hole and wondering if maybe not enough was coming out. Then I started wondering if maybe I wasn't exciting him enough to have more than a nominal release. But phew- you sure make me feel tons better!! Now I can stop giving him head all the time just to test the release valve, so to speak (I'm sure my hubbie willnot thank you for that) HAHA. Sheila, I know. For years I felt the same way. I kept wondering why I didn't feel the warm gooiness inside when all the romance novels I read mentioned it and even some friends. I remember lying to some guys I had sex with about it. Then later on I just thought fuck it don't have to keep pretending I feel their all powerful sperm hitting me in there.

A few years ago in a feminism seminar one of the speakers addressed this issue and told us that women can't feel anything in their cervix (or at least very little) and that this was another misconception/lie women told each other to be feel more like a "real" woman. No one wanted to be the one that didn't feel it and hence they lied about it to each other.

Same thing with orgasms through penetration. At first all my friends would lie about it. Everyone claimed to be multiorgasmic *snort* when in reality a big percentage of women can only have orgasms through the clitoris (or G-spot if you are lucky enough). I should probably do a bit of a study on this and blog it.... I don't want to seem like I am hogging up your comments section but I think that would be a great study to look into. I am certainly not multiorgasmic and the whole G spot doesn't always get it done for me. I need clit contact and sucking on my neck (maybe a bit of a vampire fetish, I admit), and being in missionary does absolutely NOTHING for me to get to the finish line and even hurts on entry. My personal fave is reverse cowgirl. But I would love to hear what real people say and not just what the sex mags think we should all be doing.

While your at it find out why the romance novels always have guys loving to go down on their women for 3 orgasms and smother their faces in the girl juice. In real life, I don't mind giving my guy a blow job, but he never goes down on me unless I ask. I have asked all the important questions- Do I smell or taste bad? Is it because I had 3 kids and now you can't look at me there? The answer is always NO, but it is so infrequent that now when he does it, I feel self-conscious and can't relax enough to enjoy it. Most of my friends give me similar stories- so what's up with that? "why the romance novels always have guys loving to go down on their women for 3 orgasms"

Sheila, say it with me now "That's why it's called FICTION!" ;-p

Which also explains why that same virginal heroine is able to not only suck down the hero's Cockzilla but also his copious quantities of luv juices; first time at bat and never gags once!

And puh-lease, an hour after losing her virginity and suddenly she's luvin' teh buttsecks with that anaconda, too?! Bitch must be a living rubber luv doll!

Oh, wait, back to Trollop's original questions: yes, I can feel when my DH comes. But not the sooper preshur spraiz that cause my own orgasmic bliss that they write about; it's just a warm, wet feeling. And no, I have orgasmed exactly twice in my life through intercourse alone and only then because I was at the edge to begin with and he just happened to magically be in just the exact right position to rub my clit the exact right way.

Attempts at duplicating this feat have proved fun but futile.

/end TMI Sheila, my bf actually loves going down on me (I trained him well from the beginning though LOL You better eat the salad if you want the main course kind of thing) but he never stays there for more than one orgasm. Another of those stupid romance novels myths btw, since the clit is usually too tender after you come it's actually uncomfortable for the guy to begin again right away.

Bev, I'm like you. I need clitoral stimulation or it's never gonna happen. Most of my friends have admitted to not being able to have orgasm through penetration but only after MONTHS/YEARS of asking them and they swearing that yes they were multi-orgasmic and all that other BS. Eventually they do tell me the truth as if it were an embarrassment/short coming.

I wish that we, as women, could be honest to ourselves and each other in order to really work on having a good and fulfilling sexual life sans the lies and BS *sigh* Yay yay yay you're back!!! I had nearly given up hope.

I have been told I'm tight, but maybe I'm just lucky and have a girthy bf? Certainly seems that way to me. :P

I agree with Bev that, on occasion, I feel a little something going on when he comes, but it's not great gushes of fluid or anything crazy like that.

I rarely come without clitoral stimulation. I feel like it was easier when I was younger, but maybe it's just because sex was all shiny and new back then. Also, I'm pretty uncomfortable receiving oral like Sheila. It all stems back to an awkward incident when I was 19 that I've apparently never gotten past. I pretty much wait for a certain amount of time before I tell him I'm ready to move on. I certainly wish it was all fireworks and passing out like fiction tells me it should be! I have to say that I sometimes feel the warm flow of sperm. Not all the time, but often enough. That's one's realistic for sure.

Shosh Hey you guys. I'm really glad to see some of you are still here. :D

Anyway, Trollop and i were just talking about sex. Well, stuff related to this post. And now apparently i'm supposed to comment. :/

I feel it when a man comes in me. Sometimes i don't. But yeah, women can feel men ejaculate inside them. Although i have to laugh with Sheila because i used to do the same thing: wonder if his cock wasn't spewing its worth. Those heroes who come in buckets sure are misleading.

I think every woman needs clitoral stimulation. C'mon, it's the ignition! You need it to have a combustion! :P Though, er, don't hate me but i have to admit there were times i'd come through penetration alone. (Oh, stop the tomatoes!) Like when my ex would do his stuff and i'd feel him hitting me relentlessly, vigorously and i'd come. It's that g-spot thing i think. Oh, and the position. ;) Pissing idiots off Bad book reviews I think I know what you are talking about here. I find myself wanting to make recipes from Epicurious if they have a few bad reviews. And I like books, movies, etc. that are not "everyone's" fav. I like a little controversy in my hobbies.

And sorry you lost, but it's so noce to have you back;) I never read Amazon reviews, good or bad. I don't pay much attention to the stars either, especially considering how I use them, and the controversies over taking down bad ratings/reviews.

Actually, I tend not to read any reviews for books I'm already planning to read. Books/authors I'm not so sure about, I will sometimes seek out other people's opinions, but usually more in the vein of recommendations rather than reviews.

I would rather read a discussion about a book - and the more articulate the better, even if it's full of rage or ire and spoilers - than a review.

Otoh, I think I see what you're saying about how someone's bad review could be a good one for you -- partly, maybe because of the book comparisons they make (if they like/dislike the same things you do or not). I find that's where knowing the other person's preferences helps: considering where your source is coming from and all that. I read them sometimes because they amuse me too. Same with Yahoo movie reviews. There's that one movie with Colin Firth...forgot what name it is, one particular review mentioning ritalin and eagle had me peeing on my pants! Oh, I always give the bad reviews more credence, or at least, use them as part of the overall picture. Is the bad review complaining that the book didn't make sense, but is written by someone who appears functionally illiterate? That's a point in its favor, assuming the good reviews are well-written. Are the bad reviews because of a certain plot point I don't mind? Are they written by people who, when I check their other reviews, love books I hate?

It's all part of a picture. And they're all important. Bigger question is why you don't trust people who don't drink?



However, I am far more inclined to read a book with AWFUL ratings/reviews than I am to read one with generally nothing but raves.

Go figure! R.E.S.P.E.C.T. find out what it means to me I think it's icky.

I don't think I remember anything else from the book other than the fact that I was icked out. What's weird to me is that I hardly even noticed that part when I was reading. I don't think it sat right with me but it didnt seem so horrible. Now that you've mentioned it, it does seem a bit wrong.
Other than that, I liked the book. It was kinda sweet... Y'know, about characters/stories like these... I'm beginning to realize it's not them so much (or exclusively) that I have an issue with: it's the fandom. The fans who think they can do no wrong, and that cheating and stalking and being all dementedly possessive and controlling are signs of True Love. Or the fans who think that pointing out someone is, on occasion, scum means that you're not a True Fan. It is possible to like a character and want to slap him/her upside the head all at the same time (or dislike the hero and still like the story/heroine).

I liked the book, for the most part, though I don't recall it very well. I remember that it was supposed to be like the best thing ever, and I thought it was fine -- nothing earth or, more importantly, genre-shattering. (Otoh, I thought Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels totally lived up to the hype.) Dance you couldn't have said it better.

Re: It is possible to like a character and want to slap him/her upside the head all at the same time (or dislike the hero and still like the story/heroine).

That was my main problem with TBH. I liked the book but thought the main characters were idiots. The guy is an abusive cheater and she's a moron for taking it. And yet, the story is very well written and the characters very well drawn out; the fact that she made me care for them, even though I hated them, tells me a lot about what a good writer PS is.

Now, shagging my sister blind on a regular basis (in a bed that we share no less) while I wait outside and listen... Well, call me the grinch who didn't believe in love if you must, but that IS NOT ROMANTIC. LOL I'm in love part 495023 LOL!! That is hilarious! I couldn't stop laughing. A truly accurate description of the situation ;) Am I going to regret asking... What does Gabaldon have to do with the CE wank? Dance, I really don't know.

What I gathered was she wrote a post about it. I think on CE's side? I understood (and I could be totally wrong here) that she said romance authors didn't have to credit their sources (which seems kinda fishy to me, but what do I know?) I must have missed it. I do recall some other authors and readers discussing that issue, though.

For me, I think it would depend on how they're using their sources. I'm not talking about copying paragraphs nearly word for word, but stuff like historical or medical or whatever type research. Or for House to say where their medical research, such as it is, came from. ;)

I wouldn't expect a (romance) author to cite their sources (other than maybe make an acknowledgment if someone in particular was of great help or they had to take some liberties) any more than I would expect Joss to, for all the pop culture (and beyond) references he has, for example.

I think I also wouldn't want footnotes or some citation every time a writer "borrowed" a phrase or line from someone else, poems and songs aside, as I believe the copyright with those are a bit different. Part of the fun of reading, for me, is to be able to spot those references, or come back to them later with greater understanding of where they came from. That type of borrowing/cumulative knowledge adds layers to the writing, imo. Ok, i'm trying to find what Jenny posted about this but i missed it and now can't find it. Did she erased it or something? Though there were people who quoted her like Mrs. G and Gennita Low.

As for what Diana Gabaldon said, i can't find her post either. But unlike Jenny's, the only thing i can find about it is a comment from someone who didn't directly quote DG. From AAR forum:

"When Diana Gabaldon commented somewhere that you can't plagiarize a source in the public domain, it made me realize that there are some BIG misunderstandings about what plagiarism is and how it relates to copyright infringement."

I can't find where that so-called DG comment came from. Or perhaps she was mistaken and it wasn't DG but Signet who said it:

"The copyright fair-use doctrine permits reasonable borrowing and paraphrasing of another author’s words, especially for the purpose of creating something new and original. Also, anyone may use facts, ideas and theories developed by another author, as well as any material in the public domain." Hilarious summary!

I didn't know Cassie Edwards is 71 years old already. Or that's a joke? Jenny Crusie's post about it is here.

Hmm. So there's 2 issues (or 3, I guess)? 1. copyright (stuff in the public domain is ok to use, and "fair use" material), 2. plagiarism (using Shakespeare's words or a guy writing about a ferret, for example, and passing them off as your own), 3. "Mean" Bloggers (picking on poor, old authors). Thanks for the link Dance. I couldn't find that last night. Will read. "But I read it and thought, “Are they ever going to leave this woman alone?” and posted the run-over-your-dog comment, which was taken as a refutation that plagiarism is a serious thing, and which I deserved because I was, once again, going for snide-and-derision instead of making myself clear. So I went back in and said, “Plagiarism is bad, but what you’re doing to his author is a crime, too,” or words to that effect."

"The drubbing Clinton took from the press was ridiculous, the glee they took in her “downfall”was obscene. And I think a lot of people went to the polls and essentially voted against S&D because it’s not the way intelligent, insightful political commentary is done."

I can't quote everything LOL. I like Jenny Crusie. Like Trollop said, she's true, dude.

Wonder how many people see me and Trollop as "mean bloggers".. I don't know if we're mean, but I really hope we're not cruel.

I would agree with JC on the "mean blogger" thing. Say what you have to say and move on. Which is what I do (I rarely even comment on my own posts to clarify stuff or to debate things).

You have thoughts/opinions? You write them down, you let others read them and say/think whatever they want on the subject. Problem is when you become like a dog with a bone b/c then you lose all objectivity on the issue.

You don't like a book? That's fine, say anything that comes to your mind about it; just don't get mad if the author/fans come defend her work. You said your piece, let them say theirs and move the fuck on. Because really, how much free time do you really have on your hands? LOL

What seems to happen a lot in romance land is that bloggers ALWAYS need to be right. They'll fight with other bloggers, authors, people that comment in their blogs, hell they’ll fight with their own grandmas to prove their point.

If you're smart, and know you are right, you don't need to convince EVERY single person and you sure as hell don't need to fight with everyone who disagrees with you, because lets face it, smart people don’t waste pearls on pigs.

So either you’re not giving out any pearls or you don’t mind rolling around with the pigs *wink* Re: Clinton/JC/obsene glee

Again: Make your point and get out, or else you make your public pitty your target (what happened with Clinton and CE). I guess I took JC's post another way. I thought it was rather holier-than-thou in tone, and I don't see how picking on the SBTB (why doesn't she just name them in her blog; everyone knows who she's talking about) is any different or not worse than picking on CE.

And if nothing else, imo, her timing sucks because it does seem like she's on CE's side or wanting to sweep the whole mess under the rug, which I don't think does much for the credibility of the romance genre.

There's a lot of "shoot the messenger" going on with regards to this latest uproar, I'm finding. And it turns the discussion/flaming on them instead of the issue, which I do find interesting, personally. Not CE, but the line between plagiarism and using someone else's fair use or public domain words to enhance one's own writing. And whether or not to cite.

I also don't think what happened to CE is anything like what happened to Hillary Clinton, who as far as I know didn't do anything wrong when the media pounced.

As for not letting go... well, that's why I like the internets. It provides a forum for discussion that one might not find elsewhere, and because it's not face-to-face or even in real time sometimes, one can also choose how much to be involved. The cyclical nature of the internets also tend to be pretty fascinating to me. Re: And it turns the discussion/flaming on them instead of the issue, which I do find interesting, personally. Not CE, but the line between plagiarism and using someone else's fair use or public domain words to enhance one's own writing. And whether or not to cite.

Very true. That's why I found what Mrs. Giggles had to say so interesting. If someone else besides the SB's had made this public people would be concentrating more on what CE did (which was v. wrong) and not on who made it public. But two things come to play here:

A) It seems (though I never saw anything b/c I'd never even heard of CE) that the SB's have been attacking CE for a long time and took it to a personal level (again, no idea if this is true; never read anything).
B) a lot of the people that are flaming/trashing SB's are doing it b/c they are popular and it's probably out of envy or a similar emotion (My humble opinion).

I honestly hope we wont be seeing footnotes/bibliography on romance novels after this.

In Non-fiction/biographies -even maybe historical fiction- I could take it, but interrupting my romance reading to tackle footnotes on ferrets (or anything else) will drive me nuts! LOL I think it's more B than A. I've had SBTB on my RSS feed for a long time and their level of "attack" on CE is about on par with, say, some of the Gabaldon comments here. ;) (The difference is that I am a Gabaldon fan/fangirl and not a CE one. :D)

I do realize I'm beating the dead horse here, but I remembered this post from a while back -- nothing to do with CE; rather, it's about fandom and the inevitable plagiarism kerfuffles that spring up. It's related, though indirectly (more about what is fair use instead of what is plagiarism). :) Who cares about Cassie Edwards when we can have Paul Tolmé? LOL! I see what you mean Trollop. I do like men with sense of humor.

About Cassie Edwards, SO tired of this story. She plagiarized. Stop reading her books and publishers could cover her with honey and tie her to a tree full of hungry ants. At least that other plagiarist who predicted with her magicball she's going to be the next JK Rowling was entertaining.

Back to this Paul dude. BBs, YOU HAVE TO FIND OUT IF HE'S SINGLE! And where does he live??! ;) I, too, am tired of hearing about Cassie Edwards - and I don't even follow this thing! I don't read her books and after this scandal there's no way I'm ever reading her. The title of her books are enough to dissuade me.

Now, this Paul Tolme is cute. And very funny. What does he do exactly? Study ferrets? Really like that picture of him. No picture of him without his shirt on? LOL! Just kidding. Of course feel free to share it with us if you actually find one. Ha! Jolie, I edited to add the same thing.

WE. GET. IT. SHE PLASGIARIZED (or whatever she did) JUST GIVE IT A FUCKING REST!!!

Funny thing is, the more they trash and bash her the more people will take pitty on her (like me and many others).

That's one of the first things they teach you in political marketing: Make your point (if it's negative) and get out or it'll find a way of backfiring on you.

These people should hire me LOL I should have an ad on sidebar "I'm a political analyst and consultant. I help run campaigns and tell people what to wear and say. Hire me and you wont make an idiot of yourself or a mess of what you're working on" LOL

Think anyone will give me a job? LMAO Amen to that Trollop. Let's give other plagiarists a chance to be stoned to death. It's been weeks and it still won't fucking die. Even California wildfires don't last this long. Jesus.

And yes you should put that ad on your sidebar. *G* He looks a bit like a much cuter adrian brody.

VT you should definitely email him your pictures (not dressed as a ferret please). Di! He does not look like Adrian Brody! I do not like him and he's not cute AT ALL.

My dear Di, you have faulty eyes. :P I emailed him, but couldn't find my "good angle" naked pics to send LOL

It went something like this:

I think I love you
So what am I so afraid of?
I'm afraid that I'm not sure of
A love there is no cure for
I think I love you
Isn't that what life is made of?
Though it worries me to say
I've never felt this way

Believe me
You really don't have to worry
I only want to make you happy
And if you say,
hey, go away, I will
But I think better still
I ought to stay around and love you
Do you think I have a case?
Let me ask you to your face:
Do you think you love me?
I think I love you!


Now I'm waiting for his restraining order LOL

Wonder if I'll be able to take my ebookwise to prison mmmmm.... Link in my comment is broken click here to get some ferret luvin' :P ATTENTION: CLICK HERE FOR THE REAL LINK.

Jayzuz. Babe, you're hopeless. Vicious Trollop you made me spit half my dinner over my new computer screen.

I think I love you has to be the #1 song used by most stalkers.

And if you say, hey, go away, I will but I think I better still I ought to stay around I love you?

Can anyone say crazy fuck? LMAO

I checked Tolme's bio from the link you gave and I don't think he's a spring chicken VT. You're practically jail-bait for this guy hahaha You're what 24-25?

http://www.paultolme.com/bio.html LMAO.. Don't go getting arrested for stalking ... who will make me laugh then Harlot I hate you. I've been humming this song since last night. Why did you post the correct link? I can't get it out of my head! I was following the Cassie Edwards scandal but then it became this big witch hunt. I lost interest already.

No idea who Paul Tolme is and sorry Trollop but I don't like ferrets. :/ I am more concerned, errr, confused by the fact that Ms. Edwards claims she didn't know that you had to give proper credit to sources of materials you obtained that weren't written by you. WTF?!!!? Didn't most of us learn that in high school, junior high (sorry kids, I didn't go to middle school) and/or elementary school???? I know I did. Popola, I'm 26 (but will start taking years off when I turn 27;I'll be 26 for an extra year LOL).

He looks orange in that pic you linked. WTF? He also looks a lot younger and a lot less orange in the home pic *Grrr*


Anonymous,

Yes, I think that's quite strange. For my thesis (all three of them) I had to write so many footnotes and such a huge bibliography it took me as much time as the research itself.

They, of course, taught me this in school but I didn't put it in practice until college. Maybe she didn't go to college?

I haven't read the other book passages she copied from (they are freaking HUGE. Are you kidding me, who has that much free time? LOL) but maybe she thought taking information for dialogue wasn't plagiarism? I have no idea what could have been going through her mind.

I guess we have to wait and see what she has to say for herself later on and what the repercusions will be.

In the mean time, I don't see how people screaming for her blood, making voodoo dolls of her, planning to stone her in a public square etc. is helping matters. I may be oblivious, but I don't see the witch hunt. I have both SBTB and DearAuthor on my RSS feed - not to mention that it's made its rounds on my lj friends-list too - and have sort of been keeping up; though, granted, I don't usually read the comments, which I gather is where a lot of the tar-and-feather response is coming from?

I did read Jenny Crusie's response to the whole thing and wish I hadn't. Ah, well. If she writes another book by herself, I'll probably still read it.

Have you guys seen Mr Tolme's response? He sounds like he has a pretty wicked sense of humour. Re: I have both SBTB and DearAuthor on my RSS feed - not to mention that it's made its rounds on my lj friends-list too - and have sort of been keeping up; though, granted, I don't usually read the comments, which I gather is where a lot of the tar-and-feather response is coming from?

Dance, that's true, I haven't seen the posts at Dear Author but the ones at SBs were ok. They were just informing what they found.

I think most of the flaming/bashing/trashing that happens in romance land (to any author/person/blogger not just CE) comes from the readers and the comments.

I think people get really carried away sometimes. Hi girls,

Dance? What did Jennifer Crusie say? I take it you didn't like it. I'll go to her blog and see. The Charm School by Susan Wiggs Harlot, I'm trying to make a point here. I want to be mean and ferocious *grrr* but all is for naught with those cutsey hearts in my post!

The shame. How can I show my head in public now that they know we like hearts in our snarky posts????? Thanks for the warning.

Haven't read it yet, but it sounds scary. I'll take my hand off it.

Happy Reading!

Sanna You had me at "long red hair".
I suppose I have seen a few hot guys with red hair, but I'll be damned if I can think of one.
Sorry you had to go through that. But thank you for the warning! Well, ya gotta make your points more pointy.

The hearts stay. Hmph. Come on Trollop, I read this and it wasn't that bad.

The hero boinking prostitutes did put me off and this book has the cheesiest ending I've read. Evah'. Trollop, you crack me up. I do love your little book reviews.

Read this book. I liked the heroine for having the courage to improve herself and escape a life she hated. But beyond that, mehh. Ha ha. Check out The Drifter and The You I Never Knew. The Drifter by Susan Wiggs? I read that and IMHO it was a boring book. Minionette, I'm not sure I'll be giving this author another chance. I think this is a first for me actually, I'll usually read more than one bad book by an author LOL

Thing is, this book didn't have one single thing I enjoyed. Not one :/ I swear she had to work really hard at making it so bad *cringe* For those of you who remember my uber "love" for Outlander I have to say this:

I enjoy DG's writing. She's really good I think. And there were parts of the book I enjoyed like when Claire meets the Lockness Monster. I thought that part was pretty cool. The Waterhorse part. I thought you would pick the part where Claire gets the strap. LOL! I think that's the part where Jamie offers Claire an insight into how his life has always been. It's also where Jamie realizes Claire's life has been very different to his. Does more sex equal good romance? Always, a great sex scene is not a substitute for a great story line.

I enjoy a good erotic read but I need something beyond big body parts that throb. Even when the sex is very dirty, if the story is dull and mechanical I'll end up not liking the book.

I think the reason why mainstream romance novels are competing with erotica novels is just that, to give readers what they want: sex AND romance. But not every author can deliver both. Worse, when authors compromise the story because they forget that it isn't all about sex. One author that I find delivers both good stories and great sex is Sarah McCarty.

You should give her a try Petra. She's a wonderful author, and one of the few I've found that can balance the right amount of hot sex and a good dose of romance well. trollop I agree on Sarah McCarty but disagree about erotica being published to fill-in the lack of sex in romance.

Erotica would have happened anyway even if romance had kept the big appeal it had in the 80's and 90's. Trollop, I did thanks to your recommendation. :D I tried Promises Linger and loved it! I know sex scenes doesn't carry a book. I was reading Robin Schone and some Angela Knights and I put it down after a few pages or scanning.

Then I read JR Ward, the names makes me cringe...whats up with the extra 'h's?

Anyway, she has great story between hot sex, so I am totally fine with the book...and I still skip the sex...unless it's the only thing interesting in the book... should 'doesn't' be 'don't'?

Screw grammar...I wish I was better at it. JR Ward's books are hot but (as Shoshana says) the stupid names are very annoying. Somehow I couldn't pass that little irritation that itched like a #$%* and it ruined the story for me.

Plus, compare to Sherrilyn Kenyon's story, I like the Dark Hunters more than the Brotherhood. You feel me? "I was reading Robin Schone and some Angela Knights and I put it down after a few pages or scanning."

I haven't read Angela Knight but a friend recommended her. That bad huh? I say the sex thing in books is just a movement with the times...as it is in movies, tv shows, language and music.

I love a good book with no sex... as much as I love a good book with good sex. I started on romances with the old Harlequins in the 70's as a pre-teen, when the characters all kissed and faded to black. My first real romances were by K. Woodiwiss and moved on to Cassie Edwards' Native American romances, and they hooked me for life. Even being married for 12 years, I still read romances all the time. I have saved some mild ones for my daughters to start on when they are old enough. Maybe it's the perpetuation of the princess/prince charming fairytale syndrome drilled into us as young girls, maybe it is the belief in one true love, maybe it is being an eternal optimist....I read other fiction, and yet ALWAYS come back to a romance.

I have several degrees, was a journalism major back in the day- have done everything from hand paint pottery to private investigator to stay at home mom, and currently am a research assistant. Inspite of all this, I can read most any romance novel. In the past year, I have read close to 100 books with maybe 10 as dnf. If the writing is creative and the characters are believable, I really don't care if the plot has been done before-it's all a fairytale version anyway. I just don't like over embellishment of the scenery, and will skip over it if it is not pertinent to the mood...The biggest thing for me is to keep looking for fave authors, and read lots of reviews. I also find an author and then have to buy everything by them: such as Sarah McCarty as mentioned above, Lisa Marie Rice, Julie Cruise, Erin McCarthy, Rachel Gibson, Julia Quinn, Edith Layton, Christina Dodd (Historical only) and Suzanne Enoch to name just a few.

As for non-romance- I have much stricter guidelines: I really enjoy Isabel Allende, Lawrence Thornton, and my all time fave Jack Kerouac. During the day I voraciously read political blogs, yet cannot stand to read a political non-fiction book all the way through. I wonder why that is? Does that make me a non-romance snob? I really don't care, I read what I like and that's that.

I think this post will officailly remove me from the lurking arena.... I agree with Sheila that the "sex thing in books is just a movement with the times". During 60s, you won't find sex in television. Now even cartoon characters kiss and do the horizontal tango!

Most romance readers today are looking for stories that are different, stories that push the boundaries. The reason why, in my opinion, many readers loved Lisa Valdez's Passion. If you think about it, Passion's story is the usual boy-meets-girl formula where the hero is unavailable. But because of the sex it's different. I dare say readers like that it pushes the edge a little bit. Isn't that what romance is popular for, the sex scenes?

If you ask a non-reader of romance what she thinks romance novels are about, she'll say a love story, and yes, a lot of sex.

Makes you wonder if romance novels should have a sensuality rating. Speaking of Lisa Valdez, any news about her or her book Patience? Yes. Any news from Lisa Valdez? Sadly, her website remains unchanged. Amazon.co.UK has Patience scheduled as a May 2008 release. But I'm sure that is subject to change. I loved Passion, and hope the next book will not dissapoint after all this wait. On incest and idiots I completely agree that fantasies are just that: a FANTASY. There are several things that are really hot in my mind that I wouldn't want to go through with in real life.

I can't tell you how much this topic irritates me. I took a Human Sexuality course in undergrad, and it really opened my eyes to the broad spectrum of what human sexuality is. A lot of it may make me uncomfortable, but that doesn't mean it's horrible and wrong.

The biggest concept for me was that we are sexual beings from the moment we are born to the moment we die. This doesn't mean it's normal for 5 year olds to be having sex, but there are age-appropriate behaviors, like being curious about bodies of the opposite sex because it is different from your own.

Americans are SO uptight about sex it's just bizarre. How do you explain a society where people have to hide who they really are because it interferes with someone else's idea of a sexual norm? Hmmm.

I think, and I said this on the comments in Karen's post too, that the problem here is in our own perceptions of that fantasy.

I agree, we all have some odd thoughts that turn us on. I've come up with some seriously disturbed shit in my head before and found it exciting.

But I KNOW it's sick shit. I know there's no way I would ever actually want to do any of it, that it woud be painful or harmful to myself and others or just plain extremely difficult to clean up after or whatever, and I don't fool myself that it would be anything but degrading, disgusting, criminal, whichever of the above or pick a new adjective, to perform in real life.

Whereas in the quote to which I and many others took umbrage, the speaker seems to be saying he genuinely believes a father raping his own daughter must be an incredibly erotic experience for the girl. I have a problem with that.

No, thoughts aren't criminal (although you and I will have to disagree on whether or not pedophiles consume a lot of child pornography and pedophile-themed stories before actually committing their crimes). And there really is nothing wrong with having whatever thoughts or fantasies you want (in that first example, it seems clear to me that the poster's desire to be a little girl being "introduced" to the world of sexuality by an older, experienced man who cares for her has much to do with a disappointing lack of connection/satisfaction in her current sex life and very little to do with pedophilia). But seriously, if you're turned on by the thought of necrophilia, for example, you KNOW that's not right. It might get you off, and that's fine, but the minute you lose that sense of "hot as a fantasy but I know it's wrong" and start thinking maybe it is truly a beautiful thing, maybe it is an okay thing to do, is the minute you start hanging around in alleys behind funeral parlors in the middle of the night.

JMO. My only thought about other peoples fantasies is: If it doesn't hurt me or others and its all consensual, with no minors involved, than I don't care. The only time I start to freak out or not like something about someone else fantasy is when it involves kids. Besides that do what you want. *waves* Just popped over to see why StatCounter showed so many click-thrus from your blog.

peace & passion,

~ Alessia This comment has been removed by the author. "I think it's very closed-minded and ignorant to believe that healthy sexual parameters are defined by your personal fetishes and that everyone else that has fantasies different to yours is a sick pervert."

I'm not following what's been happening on the other blogs but amen to that quote above. Well said Trollop.

Your own body, your own mind, your own fantasies. Why do some people think that what they believe is the one true way and everyone else is "wrong"? It's your own fantasy, and if it's not hurting anyone (say like Ted Bundy probaby gets off dismembering those victims) why should people think it's weird. Most people fantasize. Almost all have fantasies. They are a normal part of human sexuality. I think what's important is that people should remember that it is just that - a fantasy, NOT reality. Hence, it's safe, and very enjoyable I should add.

I think everyone should indulge on fantasizing. Since it's in your head, you can have it as outrageous and as extreme as you wish. ;) Carmen- My only thought about other peoples fantasies is: If it doesn't hurt me or others and its all consensual, with no minors involved, than I don't care.

Amen! Everyone fantasizes about things they would most likely never do in reality. It's important to be comfortable enough with yourself to embrace and enjoy it. Your mind is yours alone. As long as you're not hurting anyone, who cares what you're into. Literature intolerant Genre snobs suck.

Honestly, is it so difficult to see the difference between "(all) romance/sf/f/ya/mystery/etc is horrible" and "[genre] is not for me"?

But then I have terribly lax views on genre and will genre-bend or cross to fit my needs, so it's not like I've ever been married to any one genre. ;)

I still think Lois McMaster Bujold said it best: " Genre is actually a recent invention, stemming from the period when there began to be too many books published for any one or even small group of people to read them all. There had to be some way of pre-sorting them. I find genre labels helpful when they guide readers to books, hurtful when they push them away. Genre is good as a door but bad as a wall, in other words — but since that wall really only exists in people’s minds, it never hurts to coax folks to be more adventurous." Great quote, Dance.

Genre snobs, just... stupid. Stupidly limiting and denying yourself.

It's like saying The Iliad doesn't matter unless you like war or you're a freaking Greek. Or an adulterer, heh. Dance, what a great quote! I'll edit to add it to my post. tnx :D Genre Shmanra. Look, forget the genre. Just read good writing and skim the crap.

Olly Now that you've posted about this, I have to mention the different editions of Harry Potter books. Why do they have the kiddies edition and then the adult edition?

When the first HP book came out in 2 editions, the kiddie one had a bright colorful cover illustration. The adult edition had a comely black cover with a monochromatic illustration. For what? So "adults" could read the book on their morning commute without people realizing that they were reading kiddie fiction. Take that for genre snobbery. Jolie, I know what you mean. Why be ashamed to read books that you enjoy?

I love romance and I sometimes find it hard to break free of it. But then I come across amazing authors like Jodi Picoult. There's hardly anything romantic about her books but I still love every single one of them.

Genre snobbery is just stupid. I am a romance person myself seeing as romance is my favorite genre. I do enjoy other genres, though.

I have no problems with separation into genre but I am puzzled about separation into genre by author, rather than by book. Did you notice it only happens in fiction? In non-fiction, separation is done by subject matter instead of typecasting the author as a particular type of writer. Though I love romance, I wouldn't say it's my favorite genre; it is however the one I read the most.

When someone recs a book to me and says it's a romance I have expectations for it, b/c I read romance novels to scape and somehow for comfort. I know it will end with a HEA and when I read them that's the mood I'm in and what I need at the moment.

Then I'll read something like Outlander or the Bronze Horseman which people talk about as being the best romances ever and I end up horribly disappointed and let down. So even if/when the book is amazing, like TBH, I feel I was robbed of the comfort I was expecting/looking for. Does this happen to anyone else? "I have to mention the different editions of Harry Potter books. Why do they have the kiddies edition and then the adult edition?"

Ok, I have to ask: is there any difference between the HP adult version and the kiddy version? I don't know....maybe there are bedroom actions in the adult one? LOL! HP adult version: I heard there's a bedroom action between Pomfrey and Dumbledore. LOL!

I think the real snobbery lies in literary fiction shelf. In every bookstore you'll see a general fiction shelf. A lot of authors started in one shelf and should mostly be in the other. I bet many people have bought books because they believe that's what they should be reading ("classic" or "booker prize section"), not because they actually enjoy it.

Also, bookstores are sorting books in the way that sells most rather than its works' quality. I wouldn't say it's my favorite genre; it is however the one I read the most.

Same here, though I tend to go in cycles with my romance reading. At the moment, I'm not reading very many, but other times, it might be nearly all I'm reading.

Although I wouldn't have called Outlander or The Bronze Horseman "romance" -- not in the strictest sense of how the genre seems to define itself anyway.

I understand wanting to know exactly what you're going to be reading; I get that way too sometimes. It's something that seems to be both the appeal and limitation (especially when a book is written badly) of the romance genre.

Mysteries and SF/F have their "formula" too, a resolution to a case or quest, but I think there's a bit more leeway in the emotions, I guess, of how it ends. It can be happy, tragic, bittersweet, etc, while a romance pretty much *has* to be happily ever after -- and that's not always easy to sell believably and in a way that fits the story.

...Or perhaps, it's that the rest of the story has to fit the "required" ending. And that's probably why I have a hard time buying vampire (or other mystically "dark") heroes when they're in romance novels. I know they're not going to do anything that'd jeopardize the HEA, and that means the story/character (which is the important part) loses a lot of its tension, for me. Too many In Death? 31??! Wow. And here i thought 7 books is pushing already (besides beloved Harry of course, heh).

Wonder if there's any series--in any genre--that can surpass that 31 books in one series by Nora. And i should really start reading her.. :/ I got kinda bored with the series after 8-ish books (I know it was more than 5 and less than 10, though I couldn't tell you which titles they were).

Maybe it had something to do with not reading from the beginning or in order, but there wasn't enough of whatever it is I like - change, character development, mostly, relationship issues (not that I wanted Eve and Rourke to break up, but their relationship is a little too stagnant/pat/HEA for me) - to keep my interest.

And in the full interest of disclosure, I should add that I'm not a huge fan of NR books - I'll read them, maybe, if there's nothing else around - though I do like her online persona. *or interest of full disclosure. or however that line is supposed to go. *sigh* I'm confused. Is it true that the whole series is about this ONE couple? I mean 31 books and all about ONE couple? How old are they now, 70? :/ Yeah, the main romance/characters is just Eve/Roark, though there are a host of secondary characters who do things too.

I don't know how much time passes between the books, possibly only a few weeks or days in some cases. I think they're in their mid 30s? throughout most of it. But 31 books??! I don't think even a book titled "The Dramatic Life of Brit Brit Spears" can be that long. :/ I find it hard to believe anyone can make 31 books about the same couple good. Hell, authors can't even write 31 good books through-out their careers let alone a series.

I'll give the first couple a try later on, but just thinking about such a long series has taken all the curiousness out of me LOL It's a bit procedural, like, say, "House" or "Bones", if each book is like an episode, I guess, only more self-contained.

The courtship part happens pretty quickly and after that, their relationship to me kind of coasts along, with maybe a few minor bumps here and there.

I'd definitely try them - I like them a little more than I do NR's "Nora Roberts" books - but they're not ones that are Must Reads, for me. And 31 books is pretty daunting. Oh, I love this series. I know 31 books seems like a lot to focus on one couple, but they're really worth it.

Each book focuses on a case Eve is working, with some relationship stuff (along with some amazing secondary characters) thrown in. The dynamics of Eve and Roarke's relationship are amazing.

Plus, he's a billionaire, sexy as hell with blue eyes, and Irish to boot. What more do you need? I am up to book 12 of this series, and definitely haven't got bored or anything like that!

Roarke is to die for, there is humour, there is mystery, Roarke is to die for, there is romance, there is depth. Oh, and Roarke is to die for!

Definitely give it a go! I love this series. Good writing, good mystery. I'm not certain I have read each and every one of the 31 books but I do love Eve and Roarke. They're my favorite characters from all of Nora's books.

Start with Naked in Death. It will give you a lot of background on the main characters.

Olly This is my favorite series of all time. I started reading them in high school and 13 years later I'm still buying every new book JD Robb puts out. (Yeah, I've read all 27 that's currently out.) Eve is probably one of my favorite (if not the favorite) heroine. And Roarke, well to quote Marg, he's "to die for." Other heroes now pale in comparison. JD Robb/Nora Roberts is so prolific that each new book is still fresh and interesting. I like the mysteries and how Eve solves her cases, but most of all I enjoy exploring the couple's life and marriage after they've achieved that HEA. (In other romances you close the book when they get together.) I highly recommend that you give it try. Read the first 3-5 books (start with Naked in Death - that's still my favorite) and if you don't like it, well, you can say you gave it a try. Good Readings to the New Year! Please give it a go! Start from the first one, Naked in Death. I personally, are hooked on them and will continue buying her new in death books. Happy Reading! Ok, you guys have won me over!

Holly, you hit the nail in the head "he's a billionaire, sexy as hell with blue eyes, and Irish to boot" that is ALL I need to be told to run and get a book LOL

I love me some rich and hunky heroes and men with Irish/English accents are my weakness *sigh* The series is a good one. There are a lot of books, and the main center is one couple, but there are so many interesting 'other' characters that they more than make up for the only one couple thing.
If you like crime type novels, you'll like these I think. I love this series! You should try it Trollop. I am up to the fifth and reading them in order. They are working for me till now. A real lot to go its true... Beyond the highland mist *ACKKK* Trollop...you're just being a masochist. If you really want to be in pain...start reading those mill and boone printed in the 70s.

Hey, I have a perfect book for you called My Comfort and Joy and From the First. Talk about pain. I really like Jessica Bird though. Just check out my reading list lately. You know, the first two books in the series aren't the best, for all the reasons you've highlighted for us. But the series does get better...alright, I'll stop harrasing you now, lol. It's bad I do it elsewhere online. Skip book two, I can't wait to hear what you think of book 3 onwards.

- Amal I've read one Moning book, "Spell of the Highlander", but the historical inaccuracies and the terrible sex scene bugged me too much to read any more. (Note: The sex wasn't badly written; I just really didn't like that the heroine loses her virginity to the hero from behind, bent over a desk. Given that the heroine talked about wanting it to be special and romantic, I thought that was really insensitive of the hero. JMO.) Trollop, good job, you got everything that was wrong with this book. There were things that annoyed me but I couldn't figure it out until you mentioned it here.

Also, the Dark Hunter series is way better than KMM's Highlanders. I had to go read this post after buying the book lol!! It now risks being in my TBR pile forever!! Knock: A very common word, really Uhm, if I tell you scratching is correct for the period, will that help?

Sarah, whose been a bad author already today and might as well go for the whole shebang. :) "if I tell you scratching is correct for the period, will that help?"

It is? That sounds weird. LOL Just think of it as having a proper mousey demeanor. :) I guess it's like saying I weigh 9 stones, which is a lie. :P Lol.
It is very mouse/dog/cat like.

This book sounds good though. I'll give it a try and ignore the whole 'scratching' thing. I like this series. Have you read the other two books? Potent Pleasures and then Midnight Pleasures. I liked this book. It's very romantic and I liked the heroine a lot. She tried to help the hero with his illness and they "experimented" a lot at night, LOL. How Quinn solved his problem was a bit far-fetched but all in all, it was a very enjoyable book. I've actually got this book on my TBB list. Can't wait until I'm past deadline and can enjoy it. Have you read Eloisa James' latest, An Affair Before Christmas?

I liked it - and no scratching in it that I could remember ;) - though a little more so for the secondary characters than the main romance. Have yet to read An Affair Before Christmas. Although I like romance with Christmas themes. :) Jeez, Christmas is almost here! Dance, I just got an affair before xmas and will get to it this week :D

Sarah, no, it doesn't make me feel any better! LOL

It was horrible reading about all that "Scratching". I don't get historical authors; they are horribly inconsistent on historical facts and things that really matter but have their character scratching doors like dogs? She might have added a footnote in the book for us non scratching folks tounderstand! I like this story as well. In fact, I like all the trilogy. I didn't noticed all the scratching you know...I might just re-read the book and count how many scratching I can find. LOL at the scratching. It does make them sound like dogs..

Btw, I love the snowflakes! I've loved every EJ book, one and all, more or less :D For me her books have an element of intelligence and wit that few others do.

I just read one with "scratching" at the door too, Trollop. It was a Mary Reed McCall. So funny you brought it up because it bugged the hell out of me too, LOL. On half-wits and people with horrid taste This would have been my top 20 (I think b/c I can never remember books I like)

Paradise by JM
Bet Me by JC
Welcome to Temptation by JC
Almost Heaven by JM
Honest Illusions by NR
This Heart of Mine by SEP
Devil in Winter by LK
Flirting with Danger by SE
Splendid by JQ
The Duke and I by JQ
Saving Grace by JG
As you Desire CB
Deadly er well the next to last Deadly book by BJ
Open Season by LH
I Do I Do I Do by MO
The Duke and I by JQ
Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by JQ
A LC with a Duke and a Journalist (can't remember the name)
Gone with the Wind 1) I've read 59.

2) WTF? Those JM books should have been higher. Glad to see 2 of my fave Brockway are included and 2 Ivory (they forgot SLEEPING BEAUTY).

What the fuck is JR Ward doing in there?!? I like MATCH ME but it's higher than THIS HEART OF MINE? Also VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME over THE DUKE AND I?

If they can remember LaVyrle Spencer, why not Pamela Morsi who writes the funniest, warmest, SWEETEST romances ever.

My top romances:
Paradise, Something Wonderful, A Kingdom of Dreams - Judith McNaught
Keeper of the Dream - Penelope Williamson
Welcome to Temptation, Bet Me - Jennifer Crusie
Garters, Wild Oats - Pamela Morsi
All Through the Night - Connie Brockway
Bewitching - Jill Barnett
Princess, The Duke - Gaelen Foley
The Duke and I - Julia Quinn
Kiss An Angel - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
The Prize, Honor's Splendour - Julie Garwood
Bitten - Kelley Armstrong I've read 65 of them. I think this is why I don't usually look at these things.

My top 10, in no particular order:

The Blue Sword, Beauty - by Robin McKinley (well, I think ALL of McKinley's books are highly romantic, but it's probably only those two that have a more or less complete HEA; her other endings are more open-ended or ambiguous, which I like/prefer, but not something that makes a romance, I'm given to understand.)

Welcome to Temptation - Jennifer Crusie

Lord of Scoundrels - Loretta Chase

Midsummer Moon, Flowers in the Storm - Laura Kinsale

Untie My Heart, Bliss, Black Silk - Judith Ivory

Outlander series - though by definition it's not really a romance novel/series.

Dream a Little Dream (except for the last chapter), Ain't She Sweet? - Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Devil in Winter - Lisa Kleypas

The Raven Prince, The Serpent Prince - Elizabeth Hoyt

If Bitten is a romance novel, then that one too. Also The Sharing Knife by Lois McMaster Bujold - and Cordelia's Honor.

Lady of the Forest/Lady of Sherwood - Jennifer Roberson (recently re-released, I think)

Archangel - Sharon Shinn

And many more I'm sure I've forgotten. I don't think Outlander should be there. It's not romance.

Here are my top 10 in no particular order:

Shadowheart - Loretta Chase
Devil in Winter - Lisa Kleypas
The Raven Prince - Elizabeth Hoyt
Saving Grace - Julie Garwood
Kingdom of Dreams, Once and Always - Judith McNaught
Splendid - Julia Quinn
The Duke - Gaelen Foley
Welcome to Temptation - Jenny Crusie
Mr. Perfect - Linda Howard
Twilight - Stephenie Meyer (although, it's not really under the romance genre) Forgot my number! LOL

I've read 54 :D Ready for this ... I've read 9, actually less than that, I think two were skimmed because I hate not finishing a book but I thought they sucked.

I think it is interesting that 60% of the books came from 11 authors. And the majority of books seem to be historicals, and just a smattering of contemporary. Maybe that's why I haven't read too many, because I prefer contemporaries.

One author that is missing in my mind is Catherine Anderson; I love Phantom Waltz. Lauren Bach's Lone Rider; I See You by Holly Lisle; and a few categories would be in my top 10. I've read 43. Am I the only one who finds it odd that there is no Kathleen Woodiwiss on that list? Her old novels (The Flame and the Flower, Shanna, The Wolf and the Dove) are romance classics.

I don't think I can only name 10 books so I'll say most of Judith McNaught's HR and Julie Garwood's as well.

There are 4 JR Ward books in there. Fun books but I quite agree, not "top 10ish material". 1) I've read 47. There are so many on that list that I am dying to read mostly by Lisa Kleypas and Laura Kinsale. I'm going to check out the some other authors there because I'm running out of good ones.

2)Ummm.. agreed with some. Mostly the ones that I've read I was impressed with. I haven't read a lot of bad books so thats probably why. Bit surprised to see a lack of Jude Deveraux. I love some of her stuff. I admit that a few of her books are quite weak but there are those really really really good ones that I cant get enough of.


3)All of the Judith McNaught books would have been in my top 10 (if they fit of course) with Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I've read 62 but most of these wouldn't be in my top list.

I also think McNaught should have been higher and SEP too. I was surprised there were so few Nora Roberts in there too.

Outlander is not a romance so I'm not really sure why it's included there. I understand that even Gabaldon herself has complained about that and refuses to take part in AAR. Is that correct? Wow, all of those books beating Judith McNaught?

What the heck?

I don't even want to check the list anymore. I've read maybe 1/3 of the books on the list and heard of (but chose not to read) about the rest of the books.. and I'm so surprised at how the list turned out.

The readers apparently have really bad taste.

My top 20 (in no order after the top 6)

Paradise: Judith McNaught
A Kingdom of Dreams: JM
The Time Traveler's Wife: Audrey Niffenegger
Almost Heaven: JM
Something Wonderful: JM
Pride and Prejudice: Jane Austen


Honor's Splendor: Julie Garwood
Nobody's Angel: Karen Robards
Scandalous: Karen Robards
November of the Heart: Lavryle Spencer
The Reef: Nora Roberts
An Offer from a Gentleman: Julia Quinn
Romancing Mr. Bridgerton: JQ
Match Me If You Can: SEP
Natural Born Charmer: SEP
Keeper of the Dream: Penelope Williamson
Believe in Me: Josie Litton
The Tea Rose: Jennifer Donnelly
The Winter Rose: Jennifer Donnelly
The Bronze Horseman: Paullina Simons
Tatiana and Alexander: PS I'm so with you on Balogh...still disagree with you on Outlander...plus the spanking was not even 1% of the book. just skip that part and you have a fabulous book. Outlander is not a romance so I'm not really sure why it's included there. I understand that even Gabaldon herself has complained about that and refuses to take part in AAR. Is that correct?

Outlander itself could be considered a romance - it (more or less) follows the courtship and HEA "requirements" of a typical romance novel - but the rest of the series? Not so much.

I have no idea if Gabaldon is part of the AAR or not. But I know she would like her books out of the romance section because "romance", while a major part of the books, is a misleading label of them. At least in terms of what one thinks of when one is told something is a "romance novel".

(And personally I think it sucks for the romance genre that such books are not considered romance. But then, I also think a HEA shouldn't be required, necessarily, and that some books would be/are better off without one. Not that I want an Unhappily Ever After, but sometimes an ending that fits the story is more satisfying, for me, than an unearned HEA. It's probably why my Top 10 Romances aren't all typically shelved in the romance section, but I digress.)

And then there are her Lord John Grey novels - which are primarily historical mysteries, and the main character is gay, to boot. Not exactly the stuff of usual romance novels (though there is romance in the books).

All that said, I'm not married to the genre (or any genre). I don't care that Gabaldon/her publishers shelved the books in romance first to gain an audience and now want to be in general fiction; that's good marketing strategy, to me. And Gabaldon doesn't knock romance - she reads 'em herself, she says - but isn't wrong when she says her books are not romance novels - not the way the general public thinks of them. It frustrates me a little that the romance genre is so limited. IMO, a good book is a good book, regardless of where it's shelved; I like my stories with romance in them, so those are the ones I tend to seek out, regardless of whether it's YA, mystery, SF/F, etc. Well said, Dance. Though i am, um, kinda blind when it comes to OUTLANDER. :/

This is why i didn't add TBH on my list (and some other books). I don't know how ARR conducts this annual poll, what their criteria are... is OUTLANDER included because many people still consider it "romance"?

Since ARR is probably the most popular representation of the romance community online, do they only want to include books under the romance genre? Probably to encourage people to read romance or whatever.

I think that's the case really, because there are a lot of very romantic books outside the romance genre but they weren't included. Or people who voted really are clueless. LOL

Ok, i'm rambling. Anyway, genres are very confusing. I've read 61 of them. That's good right?

Here are my picks, those I remember:

Almost Heaven - JM
Something Wonderful - JM
Kingdom of Dreams - JM
An Offer From a Gentleman - JQ
The Duke and I - JQ
The Bride - JG
Lion's Lady - JG
It Had To Be You - SEP
Heaven Texas - SEP
Twilight - SM
McKenzie's Mountain - LH
Simply Irresistible - Rachel Gibson
The Duke - Gaelen Foley
The Bronze Horseman - PS
Outlander series
The Notebook - NS
As You Desire - CB I am going to go out on a limb and assume that Ms. Gabaldon has less than nothing to do with AAR. Seeing as Ms. Gabaldon has let it be known, quite emphatically, that she DOES NOT write romance novels. Dreaming of You is one of my favorite books by Lisa Kleypas.

I happen to love Brockmann's Troubleshooters series.

Mary Balogh can't write, now that I'm with you. Seeing as Ms. Gabaldon has let it be known, quite emphatically, that she DOES NOT write romance novels.

Heh. According to readers - fans and non-fans alike ;) - she doesn't write romance novels either. But evidently someone must think she writes romance novels because that's where her books are shelved and her books somehow gets nominated in romance lists. Ah, the Diana Gabaldon does not write romance forever debate. What is so wrong if your books are labeled romance? People, romance is not a disease. She did not want to be mislabeled. And she wants bigger sales/not to alienate half of her audience (ie, men), to paraphrase.

Which, hey, why not?

Apparently in countries (not the USA) where her books are shelved in the General Fiction (or equivalent) section, they sell better.

What is so wrong if your books are labeled romance?

Well, I can see her frustration with it when she/her books are knocked for Not Being Romance...

She's damned if she does and damned if she doesn't, it seems. You get some people who say it's an affront to romance books/readers/whoever not to want to be in the genre (any more) and some who say it's an affront to the romance genre because her books don't follow the usual pattern of courtship and HEA and therefore are not romances...

Personally, I think bookstores should just cross-shelve cross-genre books to find the biggest possible audience. Or do away with genre altogether -- though I think the trend is to become even more genre-specific (paranormals, urban fantasy, women's fiction, etc, etc, all of which I really do not understand very well). DG's first books in the series were originally shelved in the romance section, and I believe thats what made her series popular. In a way I understand her frustration.

I think it all comes down to what your readers expect. For ex. Danielle Steele. Her books are shelved in romance because that's where her readers expect to find her books. Genre is, in a way, limiting already, what more if you specify those within the genre? Clearly some books don't fit in one genre and most genres have many boundaries. Also readers have to know EXACTLY where to find the books!

Still, I think doing away with the genre altogether won't help. Most people use genres as a sort of guide. Bookstores will need a very good staff who will remember which area each and every book is located. That's just crazy. Either that or lose sale because the costumer couldn't find the book he's looking for. :P DG's first books in the series were originally shelved in the romance section, and I believe thats what made her series popular

They're still shelved in Romance - at least in the bookstores around here.

And, imo, it's her writing that makes the series so popular, though shelving it in romance may have expedited the process.

Saying the romance genre made Outlander popular is, to me, like saying Harry Potter is famous because the series is shelved in the children's section.

Also readers have to know EXACTLY where to find the books!

Yeah, I get that. But that's also partly why I think genre can be so frustratingly arbitrary...

Lois McMaster Bujold's latest books, The Sharing Knife, vols 1 & 2, for example, are imo very, very romantic - more so than Outlander - and yet, they are shelved in the SF/F section. Which I understand, because they are SF/F book as well, but this is where I think cross-shelving could be useful in gaining a bigger audience. I'm ashamed (I think?) to say that I've only read 6 or 7 of them. And half of those were the classic literature (Jane Eyre, etc.). Still, with ALL of the authors and books out there, it's rather amusing? surprising? interesting? that the same authors made the list over and over and over again.

Oh, and don't tell anyone, but I've never read Gabaldon. ;-) Re: Oh, and don't tell anyone, but I've never read Gabaldon

Leslie, count yourself lucky. You have no idea how much therapy money you've saved. I still wake up drenched in sweats from Jamie/JRandall nightmares *shudder*

Re: Saying the romance genre made Outlander popular is, to me, like saying Harry Potter is famous because the series is shelved in the children's section.

Dance, the thing is, who reads Gabaldon? Mostly romance readers for the look of it. They buy her and love her (god knows why). I'll check and see if she's won any awards for other genres or any voting by popularity contest.

But being in the romance section is what has made her a household name. Her publishers were smart to shelve/categorize her there b/c they knew romance sells half the books that are published each year.

I'll look into this and see what I can find and maybe write a post on it.

Re: Dreaming of You is one of my favorite books by Lisa Kleypas.

I happen to love Brockmann's Troubleshooters series.

Mary Balogh can't write, now that I'm with you.

Ally, say it isn't so LOL That Troubleshooter series *ACKKKK* I've read a couple and one worse than the next!!!!!!!!! LOL At least we agree on Balogh *g* Hmm. Well, personally, I found Gabaldon in the SF/F section of my library and then in the General Fiction shelves in Chapters. It wasn't until I was in the US of A that I noticed her books were in Romance.

But being in the romance section is what has made her a household name.

I don't quite get this correlation -- how do we know it's the Romance Genre that did it and not, say, because her books are simply appealing to a great number of people? (Though, no, it doesn't have the cross-age appeal of HP -- which I don't think it should, given some of the content.) I think she would have found an audience if she were shelved in SF/F or Historical Fiction; her books are atypical for the Romance Genre, even if one considers them Romance.

I still wake up drenched in sweats from Jamie/JRandall nightmares

But there's no slash there...

And I haven't read HP, so it's the same boat, more or less.

Her publishers were smart to shelve/categorize her there b/c they knew romance sells half the books that are published each year.

Yes, I agree with this. But I'm not sure why there's so much uproar over moving her books out of the romance section if romance readers also agree that her books are NOT romances? Diana Gabaldon romance- Outlander is romance. It was bought as romance and marketed as romance with a quote from JM as a selling point. That's why she was shelved in romance. The rest of the series may or may not be romance (haven't read it) but they put the first book where it fit and where it would sell best. I don't believe Diana was ever happy with that as she could see the whole series in her head.

A book being romantic does not make it romance. It's a genre classification and what makes a book romantic suspense verses suspense is the HEA. A romance must always have an HEA. Without it it falls into another genre classification, ie. suspense, mystery, fantasy, woman's fiction, etc

Top 100 list- I've read or tried to read them all. A lot of the selections make me shake my head, but putting together a list of 100 books is a tedious task and this poll merely represents the taste of whomever felt up to the challenge. Of whom I was not one. *G* Werewolves, were-dragons and other were-beastie heroes OMG too funny!

Great post babe.

Could I please order two were-amoebas and one were-duck please. Is there a posibility you could be turned into a were-ladybird? Because I want to sign up to the waiting list LOL

Oh and btw, I love vampires and I love Vane and he's a dog? Wolf? whatever, he's hot! LMAO! Too funny!! I like vampires of course and I like werewolves. I believe there is already an erotica where the hero is a were-octopus, either that or I was having a nightmare.

It is funny how we find these were-heroes attractive but if you really think about it, they will make anyone sick. Just look at that octopus picture. By the way Harlot, it's very disgusting. LOL. Point taken.

I want to be a were-ladybird too!! I swear to god I am never clicking on a link again with food in my mouth. I was so close to having to run to the bathroom when I clicked on the link of the duck cock. Oh god, my eyes, why can't I unsee it??? Duvy, I was in the middle of lunch when harlot send me that link and there's a curse over her head now. I almost threw-up. That's a nasty nasty pic.

I'm sick, probably dying and I think harlot showed me that to get rid of me sooner. Well, I have a couple more hours to go Harlot. Ha!!!!!!!! I think I read somewhere that pigs have the most orgasms. Either that or their orgasms last for an hour or more. :D LMAO! Good post.

I have yet to read Heart of the Dragon but I liked GS's The Stone Prince. I'm with Menchie. I heard pigs have the most orgasms.

How many times and how long do pigs have sex anyway? Because those ladybirds are quite the champions. LOL I just have to comment this is too funny!

I was once married to someone who's part Jabba the Hutt, full of vices and a greedy beep beep. Worst years of my life. I didn't want to be his slave girl like Princess Leia! Lol great post. Honestly, shifters have never done it for me, don't know why.

And I agree, I'd heard pigs had big orgasm fun too. Heh heh ... thanks for the laugh.

Is it weird I like that slug porn? Not that I'm getting off by watching it! I'm only saying that nature rocks ;) OMG! I love you BB but just imagining that duck cock near me makes me gag.

I love vampires and werewolves. I think the main reason why paranormal is so popular is because creatures of the night are the ultimate tortured heroes. They are more thrilling than most human males.

I also think that there is some deep intimacy in blood sharing. Most people today are afraid to open up for fear of getting hurt. The idea that you have to trust someone not just to take your blood but also not to kill with it, that requires a lot of trust. Plus, the physical act is just, umm, kinky. Who doesn't want an 'animal' to nibble on your neck in bed? Ha! More proof I am not too old to learn. I read the comments before clicking on the links!

Did not, however, refrain from drinking before reading the comments though, and now have to clean screen of Dr. Pepper. (Thats' right, I love Dr. Pepper. My caffeine addiction of choice. *G*)

I do love shifters for that animal magnetism factor which can be so much more played up while the Hor H is in human form, but they have to be sexy shifters. Porpoises, seals, lambs and any other cutsie to me beings just don't cut it. Neither do reptilian crosses. *shudder* And if the author crosses to the spider realm, I am soo out of there. I'm second on the were-ladybird list behind VT.

Sarah, I wish I had been as wise. I will have the image of that duck cock burned in my retinas forever!

were-amoeba. That is the funniest thing I've read in months. ROTFL That duck cock will give me a nightmare!

I think shapeshifters are very interesting. Beauty and the Beast started it for me. Not that Beast is half and half but it's sort of related. It's all about accepting everything about the one you love, whether he's deformed or has an animal side. Plus they are very sexy. No were-octopus though icckkk! And no jellyfish. LOL! Or slug or duck or seal or spiders! Only the "sexy beasts" are allowed. =P Anything with more than two legs/arms when they transform will freak me out.

I also don't want a dragon breating anywhere near my hoo-ha. Talk about firecrotch! OUCH Great post! very educational, tee hee.
Oh Lola, too funny- Firecrotch! Ouch, not on my vajayjay.
Um, I think vampires are really as far as I go. Maybe a werewolf would not be bad, but seeing as how I am not a huge fan of Jacob Black, though I see how some could be; and Remis Lupin never did it for me, I have yet to find a werewolf that sounds interesting.
And I clicked on the links before reading the comments, and I'm not sure I would have refrained even if I had read them. But now, I am ruined. Yuck, that duck dick was discusting! So glad I am not a duck. Not only is this post LOLfunny but the comments are hillarious.

Firecrotch! Oh help. I'm being lured to the dark side. The constant commenting on the Duck penis… It's tempting me like a train wreck. I don't want to look, but I have too… LOL! LMAO! Too funny!! I'm not a big shifter fan but I admit to liking some half-beasts, especially those with big... feet. LOL

For more weres, what about were-garter snakes? I know that the mating of garter snakes is a tourist attraction in Manitoba, Canada. It's all about a female garter snake entwining herself in a mating ball with hundreds of male garter snakes. Imagine that. LOL! Question: How can vampires have sex? How can their penis become engorged when they're sorta frozen and not exactly alive? :/ Harlot - I know LKH, for one, has her vampires only able to get it up after they've fed, which sorta makes sense. I think most of the other authors I've read pretty much skirt around the issue. :P

Carrie Eww! Absolutely not into it at all. Eek! Re: Vampire's erection

Carrie, at least LKH has a theory on it. I honestly can't remember reading any vampire story where this erection thing has been explained.

As for getting it up after feeding, drinking blood isn't exactly the same as a heart pumping blood, which vampires don't have. ;) I honestly can't remember reading any vampire story where this erection thing has been explained.

Robin McKinley's explanation in Sunshine is that (her) vampires have control over their involuntary functions (i.e., are able to control blood flow, temperature, etc).

(Did you know that she's blogging now too? http://robinmckinley.livejournal.com/. Which of course I just love.)

I'm not really all that into vampires -- immortality has never had any appeal to me (I think generally, people get more interesting as they age, including in their appearance (those who don't look plastic, that is)) and the whole blood sucking thing is pretty gross, imo (that one scene in Buffy aside) -- which is kinda strange considering I *love* Buffy/Angel (the shows, not the couple so much) and Sunshine... (though it's all more so for the writing than the vampires, if that makes sense.)

I think also I'm not very into (most) paranormals/paranormal romances. I can't quite seem to suspend disbelief enough to be convinced that a were- or vamp- or otherwise supernatural hero* is in all that much danger of going darkside.

*Are they ever females? In my books vampirism is a genetic disease--they need blood to regenerate cells so they can stay alive, and sun damages those cells, but they also breathe, have beating hearts and blood pressure, etc. They're alive, they just live a loooong time thanks to the blood. I was just thinking, being involved with a half-man half-dragon is not the worst thing in the world. Imagine being with a DRONKEY, like Donkey (from Shrek) and Dragon's offspring. Now that's a nightmare! Sarah, did you look?

Jolie, no one would ever write about a Dronkey. I think. LMAO I think also I'm not very into (most) paranormals/paranormal romances

You could have fooled me! :P I have got to get me Sunshine...


Dronkey? LOL! Lola, you never know. 50 years ago, were there even romances about half-man half-dragon? Now these half and half creatures are running all over the place that they are becoming the norm! Harlot - I can't remember if it's LKH or someone else, but somebody (or maybe multiple somebodies) has vamps that can make their hearts pump with conscious effort. That takes care of the physiology. :D

Carrie Yeah, I love Vane too...he's one dog I'd do. Jolie! LOL! No I did not look. A quick google search revealed that laser removal technique has not developed to the point they could remove the image from my retinas should I feel the need.

However, in an interesting development, classifying Duck penis peeking as off limits has added to the temptation by a factor of ten. *frowning* Now why is that? *G* Ah, the allure of the off limits, even when it's a duck penis. Twisted... I like it.

Maybe we should just ask the BB to unlink the duck cock picture and post it here directly instead. That way no one is safe and we can all be traumatized! =P You gotta ask when did paranormal become normal? I say it's all about the sex. Doing it with barn animals makes you a sick SICK pervert. Alas, doing it with half-animal half-man, why, your kinkiness knows no bounds. A perfect excuse, if any were needed. ;) On romance novels and masturbation If you need counseling so do I!

Carrie Well i'm sorry i'm not really familiar with all the American idioms.

After posting too many articles about wanking and advocating the act, i can't very well claim i'm the master of my domain, can i? Ok, make that queen of the manor. :P Btw, that Christian dude, soooo going to a special kind of hell LOL. Well, at least if she's a Catholic with some nun teachers who say masturbation is a sin. Ya know, wasting precious seeds or fluids or whatever.. Oh, Sister Marie, how you've haunted me. *sniff* So romance novels make you horny baby? LOL. True, though. I'll be a hypocrite if I say there are no sex scenes in romance novels that get to me. There are those that are very titillating. When you're feeling hot, you have to do something about it. ;) I can't help but think "that poor girl" I hate it when people put so much guilt on a perfectly natural act. And all the Christians that are against it swear that materbation will take over your life and it's all you'll ever do. I don't know too many people that don't leave their rooms because they're too busy going at themselves to hold down a job or have a life.
My husband loves it when I read a book with lots of sex. We both win. and yes, sometimes I win when he's not even in the house :) Sex scenes do make me super horny but my husband benefits from it. He cannot understand how come I get all hot and don't play lol. Just how I am. I agree with Karamia. It's my BF who benefits when a sex scene makes me hot and bothered. He loves it of course. My bf doesn't find them all that hot when I read them to him (he actually laughs a lot *grrr*) but whatever turns me on he's all for it *g* There's a website called literotica.com. They have some very steamy erotic stories there.

Warning: it's a dirrrrty site so beware. When I first started reading RN and I was both younger and single I remember feeling a slight tingle while reading sex scenes.

I especially remember a scene in Heaven Texas, that involved ice cream, that had me with a bad case of the Jimmy Fingers as VT says. Di, I like literotica. If you get lucky, you'll find a good story. But there are some crazy shit in there. LOL!

Liz Carlyle's books usually give me the "jimmy finger" ;) Who is this paragon of manliness? HUBBA HUBBA [G] Guilty :P

But isn't that one of your rights as a romance novel reader? Er, babe, is this your *ahem* subtle way of telling us that you masturbate to Fabio? :/ Hahahahaha! I can't get over that picture! I think instead of wanting to 'treat my body like an amusement park' I'd fall off the bed laughing if I'd imagine Fabio!! I find that words are more seductive than pictures. Apparently I need counseling, too. ;) Harlot posted that picture NOT ME

I dunno where she got that horrid thing. She's the one that probably uses it to play with herself!!!!!! Babe, stop making excuses. I know it's sorta embarrassing that Fabio is, um, like your Santa's kinky helper, but you know... we understand weird-ass fetishes... well, we try. :/ Well...I'm pretty sure it's unavoidable. Generally speaking, that is. Something like Passion This comment has been removed by a blog administrator. A Lady's Pleasure by Renee Bernard.

It's not Passion, but what is?

It's still very steamy and erotic and the story is very well drawn out. Elizabeth Hoyt has a book that could be somewhat comparable. The Raven Prince. I think the sequel is coming out at some point this fall. Will look for the release date and let you know. Hey Jen, sorry i just saw your email. And no, i'm not a Scot--I wish. ;P

I'm not that familiar with erotica or romantica (i'm confused with all these terms really) because i've only read a few.

Right now can only think of Shannon McKenna. Recently read two books of hers (those McCloud series) and i think she has the kind of stories you might like. Honestly didn't like the heroes much. Just me i suppose because they are "too alpha". The sex are verra VERRA hot though. ;)

Ok, be back later will think of more LOL. Elizabeth Hoyt's The Leopard Prince is out already. I liked it, but not as much as The Raven Prince. I'm not sure when The Serpent Prince comes out -- sometime this year, I think.

I don't read erotica and haven't read Passion, but here are some authors I like:

Judy Cuevas/Judith Ivory -- she publishes under the later name now, though "Bliss" and "Dance" are still under her previous name, if you can find them as they are out of print, unfortunately.

Loretta Chase - pretty much loved all her books, except for the latest, which was okay, but not up to par with her usual writing style, I thought.

Julia Quinn - I like her books a lot, but her last three have been sort of just okay. I'm not sure what happened.

Eloisa James - I think she writes well and is wroth reading, but for me, there is always something in her stories that for some reason prevents the entire thing from being really, really good.

Laura Kinsale is another whose writing I quite like. Her books are sometimes a little difficult to get through, though.

And my most recent find is Shana Abe, whose dragon series is awesome. Ohhh i *love* Judith Ivory (DO NOT LISTEN TO TROLLOP WHO'S A SHAMELESS HERO SNOB). Have to agree with Dance. I second the Bliss recommendation, loved that book (don't have Dance unfortunately). Also, Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Until My Heart. I love most of her books really. :D

Julia Quinn and Eloisa James are always an auto buy but i don't think they particularly write hot romances. What about Lisa Kleypas and Liz Carlyle? Hot and the stories are good to boot. Hot reads: Elizabeth Hoyt's The Raven Prince. Also The Wicked One by Elizabeth Keys.

Any news re Lisa Valdez or her next book Patience? You got to read Emma Holly. Her books are very steamy. She has a bunch of historical romances and paranormals that are quite good. Start with Beyond Seduction and Beyond Innocence :) Ditto on the Laura Kinsale rec - especially Shadowheart.

Liz Carlyle's The Devil You Know is very hot. I simply love the way she writes. Try Sarah McCarthy.

She. Is. Fantastic. I second Sarah McCarthy. Hot books.

Lisa Marie Rice has a series that I like but I cannot remember the name. There were three cops and three bffs. Another for SM.

I read somewhere (maybe here?) that Patience wont be released until 2008 or later. It seems Valdez is depressed over comments made about Passion.

Could someone correct me on this please? I tried to email Lisa Valdez yesterday but I got a mailer domain error. It said her email box was full. I still can't believe what she went through. What did she go through? I have no idea what happened to her.

She agreed to do an interview for us and then we never heard from her again. I think Harlot emailed her not so long ago, when she wakes up she could confirm that.

Did something happen to her? Am I the only one who doesn't think Passion is THAT good??? Why do I keep hearing how "unique" the plot is and how good the dialogue are?

Blah. It's just all the sex and Mark's big cock, pe-riod. Yep. I emailed her a while back and she said she is half finished with the interview. She said she loved the questions LOL. Then she emailed again and said she's kinda swamped with all the things that's been happening (related to her book Patience).

From our email exchanges, i thought Ms. Valdez is very nice really. I don't know what's happening with her right now but i'm guessing she doesn't want to talk; perhaps it's a legal thing, or perhaps she just wants to concentrate on her books. Whatever it is, i hope she's fine and hopefully, for her fans, her next book will be released soon.

We'll let you guys know if we hear anything from her. I am starting my first SM book today!!! hurray. I think this will be fun. There's some sort of warning in the beginning on how hot the sex scenes are and how many of them there are! Gleeeeeeeee LOL Well I LOVE Erin McCarthy. And I read an erotic book called Hot In Here, was good too.

I have some sm and bondage books in my shop but have never gotten around to reading one. Must try one to see how I like it. "Wildcat Arrows," what was I thinking? Having a closer look at the covers I think "dudes" from Mine to Take and High intensity are the same guy. Odd man out is Wildcat. God I can't look at that pic or write that name w/o bursting into adolscent giggles LOL These are frightening. I dont think I could ever read them. The guy in the third pic is looking at me weirdly :S Trollop LOL!

This is embarrassing but I have that second book with the guy with shaved armpits. At least I don't have that wilcats one! Is Arrows his last name?

Maybe his name is John Arrows and he goes by Wildcat? I'm pretty sure she self-pubbed Wilcat, and the dude is her husband or something.

Yep, self-pubbed. But no confirmation on the identity of the guy. You could probably find him at your local soup kitchen if you looked hard enough. December, you're kidding right? Her husband? LOL LOL LOL Why would anyone willingly submit themselves to public ridicule like that? And how the hell did that guy agree to wear that cheap wig (and not even in his hair color!), grow that porn looking mustache and wear that crown thingy? Surely they aren't still married? LOL Isn't this that author who stole money from readers? As far as Wildcat goes, I think the hair and the weird forehead jewlery were added after the picture was taken. Were they trying to make him hotter? Huh, good luck with that.
I checked out the link, that is a lot of fug in one place. All of the guys are hairless. They all shave their armpits. i can't beieve that whoever made these covers did not hate the author. Re As far as Wildcat goes, I think the hair and the weird forehead jewlery were added after the picture was taken. Were they trying to make him hotter? Huh, good luck with that.

Karamia, your comment cracked me up LOL LOL LOL

It's true, that crown thingy and the bad wig looks like it was very badly photoshopped in. I'm horrid at editing pics and I could've done a far better job than that! Wonder if Wildcat's model sued LOL Oh good lord, that is hideous. Perfect for Halloween.

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