Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Julia's Top Ten Romance Books for People who Read Other Genres


For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!


As romance is the thing I do best, I figured I could share the love this week, literally and figuratively, by giving some recommendations to people who may want to branch out but are overwhelmed and don't know what to look for.  I am going to try to limit the list to things I have read, but I may not be able to for some genre's because I read a set niche. So let's do this.


If you read Science Fiction, you'll like...
-Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher - I actually reviewed this one back in the day and I remember being really surprised at how much I enjoyed it. My review has a good summary, but it has aliens, trying to colonize an alien planet. Worth the time!

If you read Young Adult contemporary, you'll like...
- The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand - I have not read this one but started reading the second in the series before I was distracted away. I was enjoying what I was reading though, and every time I see it mentioned I think of Anna and the French Kiss, which makes no sense since I've read neither and have no idea if they relate besides being set in France maybe. But I think Florand writes in a way that would translate well for the YA reader looking to move to romantic fiction. Someone will have to read this and tell me if they are similar or not!

- The Rosie Project by Graeme Simpsion - I've mentioned this before and I'll say it again. This is a lovely book. It's full of all the romance and light on the sexy-times if that isn't your thing. It's a quick read and a heart warming book! My review

If you read Dystopian (and don't mind a bit of heat), you'll like...
- Beyond Shame by Kit Rocha - This one has an erotic twist, but is still really good. The story features a girl thrown out of the city and having to learn how to fend for herself in the outside world. But she meets this gang and one of the members... check out my review on Booklikes.

If you read fairy tales, you'll like...
- When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James - A historical romancey play on Beauty and the Beast. Hell, I could have done this whole thing on Beauty and the Beast retellings. This is pretty recent but another good one is Beauty by Robin McKinley

If you read paranormal, you'll like...
- Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon - The Dark-Hunter series was something I was really into about ten years ago. It was inventive and fun, and this is the first book. The more recent books in the series are kinda meh, but the first 6ish are pretty good. This one and Dance with the Devil are my favorite.

If you read Steampunk, you'll like...
- The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook - I think this is like required reading for steampunk people, but just in case it isn't on your radar, this is the first book in the Iron Seas series. I really enjoyed it enough to give up sleep while on a work trip. My review.

- Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster - I can't choose between the two of these. They are both so good! So I picked both. This series just is better and better with each book. Kiss of Steel I picked up on sale and enjoyed immensely. Vampires roaming the streets, clockwork mechanics, a whole victorian society. Outstanding. My review.

If you read Historical Fiction, you'll like...
- The Spymaster's Lady by Joanna Bourne - From the last list I did of historical recommendations a few years ago, "This one was my first review here at TBTB. Oh the days. Let me summarize. This is a spy romance. The spy story is super interesting and because the whole plot isn't a "big misunderstanding" or some other relationship centric thing it may be an easier book to get into over some other romances for a newbie."

- The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran - I really think this book would translate well because it is set in such a rich historical world. The hero is torn between the white culture of his father and the Indian culture of this mother. The heroine is in India because of her fiance. The backdrop of British controlled India kept me turning pages!


So what about you? Do you have any questions about the romance genre? Have you been wanting to try one but aren't sure where to start? Comment and I will see if I can help you out!



Also link up your Freebie post in the linkie below! I can't wait to check them all out!



Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly link-up in the community where we provide a prompt and other lovers of listmaking join in on it with their own top ten list. Feel free to have less than 10 or more if you need to at times and put a spin on the topic if you need to! Just please link back to us if you are participating :)

To join, link up below with the URL to your blog POST (not your blog), your name and your email (which will remain hidden). Then bounce around the Linky!

 Paula @ The Vince Review   TJ @ MyBookStrings   Andi @ Andi's ABCs  
 Jessie   Lucy @ The Reading Date   Mara A. @ The Reading Hedgehog  
 Yvonne @ Socrates Book Review Blog   Kaitlyn @ One Night Book Stand   Stephanie @ These Paper Hearts  
 Brooke @ Brooke Reviews   Carrie @ Other Women's Stories   Noemie @ Noemie's Book Blog  
 jill @ days at home   Cassie @ Cassie's Book Babblings   Christina Writes: books that made me a better writer  
 Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner   Ashley @ What's She Reading?   Jessica @ a GREAT read  
 Mariah @ Vibin With Books   Tiffany @ I Was Angelized_1st   Amy @ A Novel Start  
 First Lines of Books   A Shropshire Girl Reviews   Briana @ Pages to Pictures  
 Lauren & Kaitlin @ YA Book Society   Hollie @ Music, Books and Tea   Grace @ Rebel Mommy Book Blog  
 Shannon @ For the Love of Words   Rickus Bookshelf   Emalie @ bookgatherer  
 Alison @ Hardcovers & Heroines   Kelsey @ kelseyempfield   Jessica @ Thoughts At One In The Morning  
 Savannah @ReadingBifrost   Maren @ The Worn Bookmark   Samantha @ The Writeables  
 Lori @ Palmer's Page Turners   Michael H   Teresa @ Readers Live A Thousand Lives  
 Sam @ bellsiebooks   Novel Ink   Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsense  
 Carrie-Anne's Magick Theatre   Keely @ I Read it and Wept   Jenna @ Lost Generation Reader  
 Michelle @ Michelle's Minions   Mysterious Bibliophile   BayLeigh @ BayzBooks  
 Rachel @ Confessions of a Book Geek   Alex @ AlexinBookland   Marie  
 Leone @ The Bookish & The Romantic   The Literary Counsellor   Barb(Boxermommyreads)@BookerTsFarm  
 Lori @ Writing My Story   Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Productions Blog   La Coccinelle @ The Ladybug Reads...  
 Katie @ The Stacks of Life   Jordin @ A Bottomless Book Bag   Emma @ BluChickenNinja  
 Cynthia @ Bingeing On Books   Alona @ Off the Wall   Jennifer @ YA Book Nerd  
 Shanda G   Christina @ Books and Prejudice   Holly @ Nut Free Nerd  
 Erin@The Book Nut   Becky @ No More Grumpy Bookseller   Angelica @ Paperback Princess  
 Emily Alfano@Wholly-Books   Nicole @ Adventure Under the Stairs   Eclectic Alli  
 Nikki @ The Bibliophibian   Lisa @ Captivated Reader   Ell @ Som En Spegelboll  
 Carola @ brilliant years   Ricki and Kellee @Unleashing Readers   Rachel @ Dashing Good Books  
 Diana @ Little Miss Drama Queen   Deb Nance at Readerbuzz   Selah @ A Bibliophile's Style (Doctor Who Quotes)  
 Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight   Milka@ReadReadRead   Sammi @ Sammi's Adventures  
 Vanessa S. @ Owls and Things   Jaclyn @ My Life as a Bookworm   Helle @ Bookish Utopia  
 Thannya @My Lovely Secret   Deb @ Books and Gibberish   Amanda @ Adventures from the Bookshelf  
 Cassi @ My Thoughts Literally   Becky @ A Fool's Ingenuity   shayna @ Bibliophilia: A Love Story  
 Lauren @ Bookmark Lit   Stefanie @ Bookie-Looker   Eleanor @ Eclectic Bookshelf  
 Andrea @ Mountain Rhinestones   Cilla @ Paved with Books   Natalie @ Flowers In My Books  
 Arenda Reads   Broc's Bookcase   The Book Elves @ TheBookElves  
 Maggie @ The Novel Orange   MCL Teen Advisory Board   Gen & Gaby @ Latte Nights Reviews  
 Conny @ Study. Read. Write.   Sophia & Nicole @ Quality Fangirls   Lola @ Reading by Lamplight  
 Maggie @ Mrs Doctor Dear   Lilybloombooks   Amanda @ Hearts Reading  
 Christopher @ VigilanteReads   Amanda @ A Bookworm's Guide to Movies   Lauren @ Always Me  
 Erika @ The Book's the Thing   Aj @ Read All The Things!   Amanda @ The Golden Mantle  
 Lindea on Books & Writing   Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library   Becca & Lisa @ Lost in Literature  
 Stacey @ Pretty Books   Marie @ drizzleandhurricanebooks   Katja (@Eeyorenyk)  
 Rachel @ Obsessed With Fairy Tales   Abbi@Christian Novels   Meredith @ Merely Creative  
 emilia @ BookBug's World   Cristina @ Girl in the Pages   Julie L Hayes @ Full Moon Dreaming  
 Tiara @ The BiblioSanctum   Amy @ Ode to Jo & Katniss   Ee @ Bursting Books  
 Lipsy @ Lipsyy Lost & Found   Lisa@Bibliophiliac   Jade @ BookMuffin  
 Kay @ kay's reading life   Ashley @ Books Buying Beauty   Amanda K. Thompson  
 Kristin @ Book Scents   Mallory @ The Local Muse   Nerdybirdy @ Daydreaming Books  
 BJ Neary - Neary Notes   Sam @ Bookminx   Brandyn @ Going for Goldilocks  
 Holly @ The Fox's Hideaway   Katy @ Glorious Panic   Catherine  
 Amy @ Read What I Like   Michelle @ In Libris Veritas   Sam Whitehouse  
 Myra @ Pieces of Whimsy   Mel @ Reviews In A Pinch   meena @Tattooed Pages  
 Michelle @ In Search of the End of the Sidewalk   Fi @ Bookish Outsider   Ju @ Fictional Skylines  
 Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings   Aggie's Top Ten Book Peeves   Bekka @ Pretty Deadly Reviews  
 purpleDragon57 @ The Dragon Writer   Kim @ kimberlyfaye reads   Kim @ The Midnight Garden  
 Wickedly Delicious Book Blog   Lauren @ Page Turner   Beth @ Perpetual New Girl  
 Jolien @ The Fictional Reader   Jaime & Erin @ Fic Fare   Cayt @ Vicarious Caytastrophe  
 Ellie @ EllesBellesBookshelf   JJ@bookloversblog   Megan @ A Trail of Books  
 Amanda @Beautiful Bookish Butterflies   Rose @ Perfect Worry   Kerr & Rachel @ Paein-and-Ms4Tunes book blog  
 Susan (Bloggin' 'bout Books)   Sue @ Crushingcinders   Emily / Books, the Universe & Everything  
 Izabella @ pagesfullofstars   Fahima @ I Read, Ergo I Write   Marie's Reads  
 Ashley @ Socially Awkward Bookworm   Christina T @ Reading Extensively   Lauren @ Wake Up Your Luck  
 Jennifer @ A Librarian's Library   Jim @ YA Yeah Yeah   maria helena @ marelden  
 Samantha @ Fabulous Fabris   Amanda @ Orandi et Legendi   Priya @ Tabula Rasa  
 Ashley@Chronicles   There will be books   Jessica @ Peace Love Books  
 Beks @ Somewhere Between The Pages   Veronika @ Reading Is Dreaming With Open Eyes   Ana Luísa Henriques  
 Beckie @ByTheBook   chucklesthescot   Rachel @ Beauty and the Bookshelf  
 Danielle   Tiffany @ A Lot of Reading   Brin's Book Blog  
 Beth @ The Quiet People   Caitlin @ Brains and Beauty   Jess @ Curiouser and Curiouser  
 o @ Behold the Stars   Critica @ The Critiquing Critica   Erica  
 Lindsey @ Bring My Books   Olivia @ The Book Fix   Rosie @ The Literary Hedonist  
 Kristi @ Hidden Staircase   Michelle @ Pink Polka Dot Books   Wendy @ Book Scents  
 Rhoda @ Strupag   Summer @ Blue Sky Shelf   Ale @BookishUnicorn  
 Lizzy @ mylittlebookblog   Tammy @ Books, Bones & Buffy   Brenda @ LogCabinLibrary  
 Rosy @ The Review Diaries   Carlisa @ Confessions of Carlisa   Carla @ Library Mosaic  
 Cait @ Paper Fury   Adriana @ Reading Fictional   Emma @ Fairytale Reader  
 Jane @ The Book Keeper's Codex   GingerReader22   Kristin @ Lukten av Trykksverte  
 Dreams @ Once Upon A Dream Books   Josh @ Been There, Read That   Caitlin @ Peculiar Pages  
 Aine @ Writing on a Vintage Typewriter   Nicole & Ashley @ The Quiet Concert   Julie @ Smiling Shelves  
 Julie @ Hippie Book Reviews   Tatum @ Books of Amber   Lianne @ eclectictales.com  
 Julia Anne @ Peach Print   Rebekah @ Wordsmithing and Worldbuilding   Lisa @ I'll Tumble for YA  
 legolegislegimus   Jaime @ Two Chicks on Books   Savannah @ Playing in the Pages  
 M | BACKLIST BOOKS   Sam @ The Little Munchkin Reader   Maddes Bokblogg  
 Zed Amadeo   Alex Baugh   Nicole @ Reading Books With Coffee  
 Louise @ BookAWeekBlog   Amanda   Alma @ Journey Through Fiction  
 Emily @ Margins   Elizabeth @ Thoughts From an Evil Overlord   Becky @ Book Bite Reviews  
 Alice @ Raptureinbooks   CJ @ Sarcasm and Lemons   Kim @ Bibliophilia, Please  
 Rosana @tudoquemotiva   Angelina and Brianna @otakutwins reviews   Casey @ LittlePinkCrayon  
 Cassandra @ Life with Cassandra   Sarah Likes Books   Katie @ Words For Worms  
 molly @ wrapped up in books   Alicia @ Caffeine and Books   Caroline @ Stardust Words  
 Amanda @ TheDarlingBookworm   Kym @ Just A Second   Ten Reading Habits @ This Mom's Delight  
 Dawn @ Dawn's Dreams   Alex @ The Book Banner   Lynn  
 Mari @ Story and Somnomancy   Julie @ Keep Calm With Books and Coffee   Theresa @ Until We Read Again  
 sarahfairbairn.com   Ellen M @ The Canon   Helen @ My Novel Opinion  
 Laura @ Scribbles and Wanderlust (ya hist fic TBR)   Marisa @ The Daily Dosage   Jennifer @ Feminist Fairy Tale Reviews  
 alexandra @ twirling pages   Lizzie the Sarcastic Blonde   Denisea Kampe  
 Heather & Christie @ The Turning Pages   Lauren James   Stephanie's Book Reviews  
 Tina @ Tina, The Bookworm   Lillian @ Mom With a Reading Problem   Zezee @ Zezee With Books  
 Steph In Wonderland   Katie @ Running Through the Library   Bokdamen  
 Bels @ Bookarahma   RACHEL WRITES THINGS   Kelly @ Wandering Through Books  
 Amanda's Book Nook   Ana Luísa Henriques   Chrissi Reads  
 Claire @ Book Blog Bird   Part Time Monster   Jess, Loren, & Aleya @ Such a Novel Idea  
 Wendleberry @ Marvel at Words   Paulina @ The Little Book Pixie   Bridget @ Dog-Eared & Dog-Tagged  
 Marie @ Pages to Explore   Melanie @ Reviews of a Self Proclaimed Bibliophile   Cate @ Orange Kiss  
 Micheline @ Lunar Rainbows Reviews   Danielle @ Bendingoverbookwards   Seeing Double In Neverland  
 Amanda @ The Zen Leaf   Sofia @ SofiaLovesReading   Liza @ Reading with ABC  
 Nori @ ReadWriteLove28   Megan Easley-Walsh   Anne@MyHeadisFullofBooks  
 Meredith @ unopened letter to the world   Anjie @ Love thy Shelf   Maya @ Another Once Upon A Time  
 Katie @ Book Arrows   Tarkabarka @ The Multicolored Diary   Christine @ BookishlyB  
 Kat @ Readiculous Blog   Lynn @ Stuff & Nonsense (Fictional Dinner Party Guests)   Islandgeekgirl @ Overflowing Bookshelves  
 Danni @ Danni Mae   Stephanie@Don't be Afraid of the Dork   Ashley @ Bookaholics Anonymous  
 Luna's Little Library   Kritika @ Snowflakes & Spider silk   Ann @ Books on the Table  
 Ginger @ GReads!   Liza @ Book Crook Liza   Marcilia @ Reading In The Tardis  
 Lori @ Ficwishes   lois@You, Me, and a Cup of Tea   Katrina @ Chased By My Imagination  
 Petra @ Petras Bokblogg   Alba @ Alba in Bookland   jen and em @themarkofabookfan  
 Jane   Sebastian   Jessica @ Crossroad Reviews  
 Chriss   Lauren @ My Expanding Bookshelf   Tabrizia @ cup of tea with that book, please  
 Monica @ Tomes Project   Cora @ Tea Party Princess   Shae/Shelver @ Shae Has Left The Room  
 Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader   Joseph @ thoughts and afterthoughts   LaCroque-Livres  
 Ashly @ Book 'n' Go   Tessa @ Crazy for YA   Girl with her Head in a Book  
 Denise @Rantings of a Closet Vamp Princess   Eileen @ BookCatPin   A room of my own  
 Amy @ Pages of Starlight   Baggins @ Pinker Than Fiction Reviews   girl in bookland  
 KayCee K. @ Wonder Struck   Quinn @ Quinn's Book Nook   abOOkishOwl  
 Lisa @Lisa's Book Blog   Lanna @Bloggers Heart Books   Melissa @ Rambling Of A Book Nerd  
 Mandy @ The Reading Diaries   Liana @ Will Read for Feels   Brigit @Escape Inside the Pages  
 Bryn @Gleaningful   Anna's Book Blog   Sofia @ Raining Books and Words  
 Stephie @ nobody knows   Melissa @ Around the World in Books   Cate on a THURSDAY afternoon!  
 Stefani @ I read books   Vonze @ Vonze Reader Blog   Jen @ The Bookavid  
 Amber @ YA Indulgences   Melissa @ Double-Stacked Bookshelves   Team Middle Grade Strikes Back  
 Sarah   Lynette @ Escaping Reality - One Book at a Time   Sophia @ Loving Lit  
 Michelle @ Playing Jokers   Jessica@Lovin' Los Libros  

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)


19 comments:

  1. Your choice of topic is awesome! I enjoyed When Beauty Tamed the Beast as well and it will work as well for fans of the TV series House. I've been wanting to try Kiss of Steel and you definitely sold it even more! I'm also very intrigued by Ghost Planet. Thanks for the recommendations!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I was looking at the list you referenced from 3 years ago, and I read Shanna in middle school also. The pirate adventure was so exciting. I read it over and over! I enjoy everything Julia Quinn writes too, I just finished the Smyrhe-Smith books, lots of laughs. I love HF and if it's got a little romance that's nice, too. I'm going to try the one about the spy.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love this topic! I've been wanting to try some romance books for a while. Won't be long now. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sherrilyn Kenyon is the bomb! I have the entire Dark Hunter series lol.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is a brilliant choice of topic! I have only read The Rosie Project, so I'll need to try a few of the others.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Such a huge fan of Eloisa James and Joanna Bourne. Great group of authors you have listed this week for sure! Beth @ Perpetual New Girl

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is a great topic. It's always nice to give people suggestions - reader advisory - my favorite part of library work.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great post :D Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster sounds good :) I like the odd romance every now and then.
    Have a great week! :D
    Amy x

    ReplyDelete
  9. Julia, great top ten post, quite creative in the way you've done it. Would love more posts like these as it's great to venture out of your comfort reading zone.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love this topic! Thank you so much for sharing. Definitely going to look in to the ones for if you enjoy historical fiction.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The Dark-Hunter series is the perfect series to start a PNR. She was one of my PNR when I started. Great Choice. I a so happy you have Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster listed I have it and been wanting to try steampunk.

    Have a great day
    My TTT

    ReplyDelete
  12. I've not read The Iron Duke - but I did read Riveted, which is the third book in the series. (I just jumped in with the one that sounded best to me.) And I totally agree if you like steampunk and want some steamy romance that is a great series to read. Odd for me to be able to say this about a romance, the world was awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Nice choice of topic. These days it's rather difficult to find a YA novel without romance though.

    Pretty sure you'v already had the topic I chose. Mine is about Books About Book Lovers
    http://thebookavid.blogspot.de/2015/05/top-ten-tuesday-21-books-about-book.html

    ReplyDelete
  14. I like how you broke it all down in this post. I don't read much romance, so this was very helpful. I do love THE ROSIE PROJECT. It made me LOL in public more than once :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. YA is one of my favorite genres and I love Laura Florand! The Chocolate Thief is actually my favorite of the Amour et Chocolate books. But I do love the whole series.

    ReplyDelete
  16. This is a great post, I don't read much romance novels as I find straight up love stories tend to bore me a little so it's nice to know of books that are a mash up of genres!

    http://sundaysandink.blogspot.com.au

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ooh, what a good topic for a TTT. Totally second the steampunk recs, Laura Florand, Eloisa James (I love "When Beauty Tamed the Beast," though others of her books are touch and go for me). Can I also say that for contemporary, Ruthie Knox is totally wonderful? (And she also writes NA as Robin York - equally awesome.) Ooh ooh ooh! Or "Bet Me" by Jennifer Cruisie - that's usually my go-to romance recommendation for folks who don't read the genre. (That book is wonderful and also lovingly writes about Krispy Kreme donuts, which you know, is pretty great, too.)

    Layla @ The Midnight Garden

    ReplyDelete
  18. Great idea for a post! I don't avidly search for romance novels but every now and then I like to read one especially if it has other elements to it! Thanks for sharing these suggestions with your readers :) I like a book that has it all - suspense, drama, romance, humor, and strong character development. Having said that I MUST recommend a book I recently came across called "The Friend Request" by author Charles Soto. (http://authorcharlessoto.com/) This book is considered a romance novel and follows two high school sweethearts who reconnect on Facebook after years of living separate lives but there is so much more than that! It shares the point of view of the male and female character which I find to be quite refreshing and there are soooo many plot twists in this book it keeps you hooked from start to finish. I definitely recommend it to anyone who LOVES the romance genre or who doesn't usually read it. I think it has a little something for everyone

    ReplyDelete
  19. That is really cool how you have tied the theme of romance into these different genre's of books. My family and I love to read. We all seem to have different tastes in books and would probably find different joys in literary differences in how romance is portrayed via each different genre.
    http://www.imustread.com/2015/01/best-romance-novels.html

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts with Thumbnails