Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so we wanted to put together a special romance giveaway for our readers. We have seen a lot of fabulous new authors making their debuts in the past couple of years. Seeing so many good new voices makes one very hopeful about the future of romance and we hope that these new authors will keep writing for many more years. Several authors whose debuts were published in the past two years have offered prizes for our prize basket this Valentine’s Day and we are very excited to offer it to you! One lucky winner will get a prize basket stuffed full of goodies that includes:
Speaking of Audiobooks: February 2010 Releases
February 4th, 2010
As I looked this past week for upcoming audiobook releases scheduled for later in 2010, I found a number that not only merited mention but had me quite enthused as well. It looks as though Married by Morning, Lisa Kleypas’ fourth in the Hathaway series, is scheduled for May while the fifth in the series, Love in the Afternoon, is scheduled for August. Julia London has a contemporary, One Season of Sunshine, coming in July while another popular medieval from Julie Garwood’s backlist, Honor’s Splendour, is being released in June. And last of today’s noteworthy mentions for 2010, but certainly not least, is Linda Howard’s After the Night in May. I think my love of Linda Howard books is well known and After the Night is one of my favorites despite its rather difficult hero since it also features one of my favorite Howard heroines.
Buried Treasures of 2009
February 2nd, 2010 
At one point, pretty much every reader has that moment of finding a wonderful, delightful book that doesn’t seem to be getting any love anywhere. It’s not flying off shelves at the bookstore, it’s not getting buzz all over the internet, it just doesn’t make sense. And that’s what our Buried Treasure column is for – it’s our time to mention the books that we really liked this year that just didn’t seem to get nearly as much attention as we thought they deserved. These may be books by midlist or small-press authors who should be better known or they may be lesser-known books by authors readers are more familar with. Either way, these books just haven’t gotten the attention we feel they deserve.
Books with Buzz: Deanna Raybourn Interview and 10-Book Giveaway (Contest Closed)
February 1st, 2010
In 2009 I made one of those discoveries that we readers live for: A new author whose books I loved. The author was Deanna Raybourn and the books were the first three in her series featuring Lady Julia Grey, a Victorian aristocrat who finds herself in circumstances she could never have imagined and discovers talents she never knew she had. And, of course, there is Nicholas, the most enigmatic —and intriguing — man she’s ever meant. I recommend the books — Silent in the Grave, Silent in the Sanctuary, and Silent on the Moor — to everyone who enjoys romantic historical mysteries.
Deanna Raybourn has a new historical mystery coming out on March 1. The Dead Travel Fast is not a Lady Julia Grey story, but instead is a stand-alone that represents a return to the classic Gothics so many of us remember with much fondness — it even takes place in a crumbling and mysterious castle in Transylvania. I loved it.
To celebrate the release, Deanna Raybourn took the time to answer a few of my questions. And, even better for 10 lucky readers, we’ve got 10 copies of The Dead Travel Fast to give away, thanks to the generosity of Mira. To enter for your chance to win a copy, all you need to do is comment to this post by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, February 4th. The usual caveats apply: Due to high shipping costs, this contest is open only to U.S. and Canadian readers. And, since the giveaway is designed to get advance copies of books into the hands of readers who wouldn’t otherwise have access to them, if you review for another Web site or blog, please don’t enter. Winners will be announced here on Friday morning.
Ready to hear from Deanna?
Kristan Higgins Winner
January 29th, 2010
As promised, we announce the winner of The Next Best Thing, the newest contemporary romantic fiction book by Kristan Higgins
Heather
Congratulations, Heather! I have emailed you and will make arrangements to have the book sent. Thanks to everyone who entered. If you didn’t win, your wait for the newest from Kristan Higgins will be short. Its release date is February 1st.
- Rachel Potter
Eagerly Awaiting for March
January 29th, 2010AAR Staff again weighs in with which coming March books they are dying to read.
| Title and Author | Reviewer | |
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The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn | Sandy, Lynn, LinnieGayl, Lee, Emma, Jean, Ellen |
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Provocative in Pearls by Madeline Hunter | Lea, Lee, Emma, Anne |
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Rebels and Lovers by Linnea Sinclair | Anne, Emma, Rike |
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Match Made in Court by Janice Kay Johnson | Ellen, LinnieGayl |
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Wild Ride by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer | Katie |
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Revealed by Kate Noble | Lee |
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Something about You by Julie James | Lea |
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The Sheen on the Silk by Anne Perry | Lynn |
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Moonlight Road by Robyn Carr | Ellen |
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Wedding Season by Katie Fforde | LinnieGayl |
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On the Steamy Side by Louisa Edwards | Katie |
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Receptionist under Cover by C.J. Carmichael | Lynn |
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Scythe by M.K. Mancos | Anne |
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Stolen Promise by Lisa Marie Wilkinson | Rike |
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Her Last Chance by Michele Albert | Katie |
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The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen | Lee |
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The Horseman’s Bride by Elizabeth Lane | Lynn |
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Second Time Around by Beth Kendrick | Lee |
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Oath of Fealty by Elizabeth Moon | Anne |
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Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin | Rike |
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Too Hot to Handle by Nancy Warren | Katie |
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The Two Lives of Miss Charlotte Merryweather by Alexandra Potter | Rike |
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Warrior Ascended by Addison Fox | Anne |
iPad? Seriously?
January 28th, 2010
I’ve had a crush on Steve Jobs for 20 years.
But, Steve, my man, you muffed it on the name. Big time. Because only one thing comes to mind when women hear the word “pad” and a computer isn’t it.
But you know, Steve is a rockstar. Always has been. Always will be. I suspect that after a whole lot of cheap iPenis jokes, we’ll all get over it.
Back when I got my first job at an ad agency, one of the things I remember doing on my very first day was to sit down at my original Mac Classic and spend a half hour or so on a a “How To Use a Mouse” tutorial. Because, believe it or not, back in those days most people didn’t have a clue.
Best of 2009, Reviewer’s Choice
January 26th, 2010
I nearly always find writing the Reviewer’s Choice Column affirming (in a “See? There WERE some good books this year!” kind of way). And it’s always nice to have a column with unabashed gushing; often we keep that stuff under wraps. Unlike years past, we all managed to find favorites this year, and some of them were even the same ones.
Anne Marble:
Top pick: St. Nacho’s by Z.A. Maxfield
Anne has led the way with M/M reviews at AAR, and judging from some of our mail, we have some readers who really appreciate these reviews. It’s no surprise that her favorite from 2009 is an M/M romance. She loved that it was written in the first person (and stay tuned; a review is coming).
Three of our staff members chose paranormal novels this year.
Andi Davis:
Top pick: As Shadows Fade by Colleen Gleason
Runner up: What Happens in London by Julia Quinn.
“This was the last book of a series that I really loved and the finale was incredibly satisfying.”
Cindy Smith:
Top pick: Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh
“Changelings from different packs/species who have no choice but to work out their need for dominance in order to be together. I loved that neither Mercy nor Riley gave up any part of who they are but were able to learn to respect and accept the strengths in each other. It was refreshing to see a couple find a way to be together without either of them having to give up a certain amount of power.”
Emma Leigh:
Top pick: Beloved Vampire by Joey W. Hill
“It broke my paranormal slump with its amazing character depth and dialogue. I could also find no fault with the direction of the plot, which practically never happens!”
Three of our staff chose contemporary romances this year as well. There have definitely been some complaints that good contemporaries are getting harder to come by, especially for those who are not fans of romantic suspense. The evidence may be anecdotal, but the fact that they aren’t heavily represented this year seems to suggest that straight contemporaries really are a little harder to find.
LinnieGayl Kimmel:
Top pick: Vision in White by Nora Roberts
“My favorite romance is Vision in White by Nora Roberts. This book had so many features that I like. First, and most important,it was a straight contemporary romance (hooray for not a bit of a paranormal thread in it). I also loved the friendship between the four women, and the hero, Carter, was nerdily divine.”
Abi Bishop:
Top pick: Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl
“I really, really miss contemporaries (and more particularly being spoilt for choice by them) and since Susan Elizabeth Phillips isn’t the SEP I’ve grown to love and Kristan Higgin’s book was just a pleasant but not spectacular read for me and Erin McCarthy has decided to focus on vampires and race car drivers, I could probably have had a really middling 2009. But Start Me Up was really romantic and pushed all of my buttons just right.”
Katie Mack:
Top pick: Under the Influence by Nancy Warren
Runner up: Hot Under Pressure by Kathleen O’Reilly
“Nowadays it seems harder and harder to find contemporary romances that don’t have suspense or paranormal elements, so when I find a really good one, I’m that much more ecstatic. Under the Influence fits that bill perfectly, and I had a smile on my face from start to finish. It’s a funny, sexy, and refreshingly modern version of the classic Opposites Attract story. Throw in a sexy and interesting secondary romance, and I was completely sold. Plus, I’m a sucker for gender role-reversal plots, so I loved the premise of a high-powered executive heroine falling for a bartender/beach bum hero.”
That leaves the historical romances, which took the lion’s share of the voting this year (with twice as many top picks as contemporaries and paranormals put together). More unusual for us is that four books got more than one vote.
Bessie Makris:
Top Pick: Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn
Runners up: The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick and Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb
Lea Hensley:
Top pick: To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt
Runner up: Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James
“To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt is a solid number one pick for me. I was fascinated with the badly scarred Alistair hiding away in his crumbling castle and loved every aspect of this tender yet sensual story. While reading, I experienced one of my old romance highs I don’t seem to find often these days and it reminded me that it’s books
such as this that keep me reading romance.
“In second place is Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James With just two contemporaries under her belt, Ms. James has worked her way firmly into a highly anticipated auto buy position for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this battle between two attorneys vying for partnership in their firm. This is by far my favorite contemporary of the year.”
Julia Quinn’s What Happens in London was chosen by two reviewers this year.
Jane Granville:
Top pick: What Happens in London by Julia Quinn
“I had a number of books I loved this year, but JQ’s What Happens in London was definitely up there on my list. It just had everything I love about her writing, and was the epitome of a funny, light (but not fluffy) historical romance.”
Lynn Spencer:
Top pick: What Happens in London by Julia Quinn
Runners up: Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran, Freudian Slip by Erica Orlroff, and As Shadows Fade by Colleen Gleason
Lynn’s thoughts: “My number one pick for the year was What Happens in London by Julia Quinn. That book flowed almost flawlessly for me. The pieces fit together very well, and reading this one just made me feel happy.
“Bound By Your Touch by Meredith Duran – a very close second; the writing style is beautiful, and the author captured the emotion of her story beautifully.
“Freudian Slip by Erica Orloff – The author took what could have been a very cheesy premise and instead wrote a very poignant book about second chances. The best parts of this story are truly romantic and I loved it.
“As Shadows Fade by Colleen Gleason – I normally am a good girl and stick to 2 runners-up, but 2009 was the best reading year I’ve had in a while and I couldn’t leave this one out. I enjoyed the entire Gardella Vampire series, and this final installment of Victoria’s story was truly satisfying and made me adore the main characters even more than I already did.”
Sherry Thomas’s Not Quite a Husband also got two top nods.
Rike Horstmann:
Top Pick: Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
Runners up: Marrying the Captain by Carla Kelly and Hot Under Pressure by Kathleen O’Reilly
“My favorite romance this year was Sherry Thomas’s Not Quite a Husband. I loved the exotic settings and the unusual characters, and the luscious prose left me breathless several times. My runners-up are Marrying the Captain by Carla Kelly and Hot Under Pressure by Kathleen O’Reilly. Amazingly enough, I loved them for the same reason: The main characters were people who somehow felt grounded, more real with their flaws and insecurities than most other romance characters, and this meant I could relate to them.”
Heather Brooks:
Top pick: Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
Runners up: To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt, Don’t Tempt Me by Loretta Chase, Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning, and Marrying the Captain by Carla Kelly
“This was a really hard decision to make, but I have to go with Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas as my favorite of the year. Neither Leo or Byrony are perfect and their relationship was a struggle to read, but I don’t necessarily like perfect couples. I loved that she was difficult and that he loved her anyway as well as the fact that they both made dreadful mistakes. I also appreciated the fact that she was an older woman and that he was infatuated with her for forever. It was one of the most moving books that I’ve read in years.
“I have several honorable mentions. The first would have to be Don’t Tempt Me by Loretta Chase, simply because of the laugh out loud scenarios. Others are Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning and Marrying the Captain by Carla Kelly. And I can’t forget Hoyt’s To Beguile a Beast; I fell in love with the imperfect, gritty hero.
The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie also drew two top votes.
Lee Brewer:
Top pick: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley
Runners up: Carla Kelly’s Marrying the Captain and Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas.
“The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie was my favorite because it was so wonderful to read a historical with intelligent yet complicated characters. Definitely a book not to rush through.”
Ellen Micheletti:
Top pick: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley
“My favorite was The Madness of Lord Ian McKenzie. I’ve read several books where the hero had a mental illness or condition, and most of those led me to think that the heroine would eventually end up as the
hero’s nurse or his abused spouse. Not this one. Beth is strong and intelligent and she loves and understands Lord Ian. I closed the book thinking they will be very happy together.”
And in what constitutes a landslide (at least among AAR staffers), Meredith Duran’s Bound by Your Touch is our big winner, with four votes.
Rachel Potter:
Top Pick: Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran
Jean Wan:
Top Pick: Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran
Runner up: Dangerous Lies by Anna Louise Lucia
“Only one stands out in my mind: Bound By Your Touch by Meredith Duran. Neither plot manouevres nor secondary characters were extraneous, the character depth was astounding, and the writing just…sublime. Frankly, it was pretty damn close to perfect.
“Runner-up & Buried Treasure: Dangerous Lies by Anna Louise Lucia. I was extremely impressed with the author’s control of both character and plot, in a situation that could easily have gotten out of hand, and I am looking forward to this author’s future books.”
Blythe Barnhill:
Top Pick: Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran
Runners up: Marrying the Captain by Carla Kelly and What Happens in London by Julia Quinn
“When I sat down to write this column, I was still making up my mind between Bound by Your Touch and Marrying the Captain. It’s the Duran by the nose, mostly because it felt innovative and refreshing to me. But only by a nose, because I thought Carla Kelly also hit it out of the park. And What Happens in London was delightful and funny.
Sandy Coleman:
Top pick: Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran
Runner up: Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
“I had a good reading year. It was the year I discovered Deanna Raybourn, who is turning into a favorite author. Connie Brockway came back to historicals (yeah!) with a terrific book, Sherry Thomas continues to intrigue me, and Charlaine Harris had the best Sookie Stackhouse novel in years in Dead and Gone. I also loved The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie, and I’m excited about where the author will go next.
Two books stood out to me this year. Lisa Kleypas has been a favorite of mine for years now and I thought she hit it out of the park with Smooth Talking Stranger. I loved the heroine, but, quite honestly, the hero was what kicked it over the top for me. For an author known for creating memorable heroes, he’s one of her best.
“But I’ve got to go with Bound By Your Touch by Meredith Duran as my favorite of the year. The story and the characters were perfectly done and I was in awe of her achievement, while I also reveled in the story. A benediction that is on the way to getting tiresome is to compare an author to Judith Ivory. Nobody is Judith Ivory but Judith Ivory, but as a standard of excellence I think she will do very well. I thought that the hero evoked what we loved about Nardi from Bliss – only without the vomit. Definitely my book of the year.”
Our annual poll has a shorter voting period this year, so we’ll soon know whether our staffers choices are echoed among our readership. There’s still time to vote…and if you’re a fast reader, maybe our suggestions will help you find a few to squeeze in at the eleventh hour.
- Blythe Barnhill
Books with Buzz: Kristan Higgins Interview (Contest Now Closed)
January 25th, 2010
The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgins
One of my best discoveries of the past year was the author Kristan Higgins. I ripped through all four books in her backlist and found them entertaining and thoughtful, funny and romantic. She’s become a comfort read for me, actually, so I was excited to learn that there is more comfort forthcoming. On February 1st, HQN releases The Next Best Thing. Kristan graciously took time to answer my questions about the book, and will be giving a signed copy of it to a lucky reader.
All you need to do to enter for the giveaway is to leave a comment to this post by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, January 28th. The winner will be randomly selected and posted here on Friday morning. The usual caveats apply: This contest is open only to readers in the U.S. and Canada and, since the purpose of the giveaway is to put early books into the hands of readers who wouldn’t otherwise get them, if you review for another Web site or blog that receives advance copies, please don’t enter.
And now, here’s Kristan!
What can you tell us about your upcoming book, The Next Best Thing?
The Next Best Thing is about Lucy, a young widow who’s trying to get on with life five years after the death of her husband, Jimmy. She’s not looking for love…stability and predictability sound a lot better this time around. Lucy figures she’s already had the love of her life, lost him and suffered so much because of it that what she wants now is a nice, slightly boring guy who won’t thrill any part of her.
First order of business for Lucy: suspend the benefits package in her friendship with Ethan, her late husband’s brother. For the past two years, she and Ethan have, er, comforted each other, and while Ethan is Lucy’s best friend, he’s the last guy she’d pick for a husband. He’s way too dangerous, way too lovable. Ethan, however, has other plans. He’s lived in his brother’s shadow all his life, and while he’s initially willing to let Lucy try to find Mr. Not-So-Bad, it’s harder than he thinks to stand by and watch.
