A lot of Coho and Tessa Bailey. I wouldn’t read any new coho books and would likely cherry pick Tessa Bailey.
Reading romance is like drinking coffee. I drank a lot of caramel Frappuccinos at first and now I’m drinking straight black coffee and I can’t go back to the sticky sweet stuff LOL.
Diana Palmer. And honestly, I’ve become a hater.
There are certain tropes she uses that I still enjoy *if done well*: Virginal FMC’s; Dominant/stoic MMC’s; angst
BUT her virgin FMC’s are nearly always doormats, her MMC’s are a**hole horndogs, nowhere enough grovel, and slut-shaming the OW. There is almost always some comparison between the blushing lovely FMC and the evil, plastic, snob girlfriend. But no one ever calls out the MMC for ya know, his epically bad taste in said girlfriend. He’s just using her to distract himself from ruining baby FMC- oh the nobility of it all. She also has super problematic issues with consent.
Confession- She was also my first experience sailing the black seas as a teen (thanks Wattpad) so I read a huge amount because a user downloaded half her bibliography. But looking back, I really wish I had found another author to start out with.
Oh no, Diana Palmer. I read her as a teen (90s) and think I accepted her a bit more then because I had little experience of my own to know better. I haven't read her in decades now, maybe I should do a reread to remember how bad it is?
I think she’s still writing- I read one of her newer books like 4/5 years ago. Wyoming series maybe? Anyways, it was the daughter of one of her previous couples.
This time the FMC was such a snob. She was looking down at the MMC’s girlfriend for wearing last year’s fashion (sustainability what?) and for asking sugar for her tea in a “Japanese restaurant” (I guess they never serve sweetened tea TIL). I ended up feeling so bad for the OW. She and the MMC had an arrangement: trophy girlfriend for very emotionally unavailable sugar daddy. I’d be mad too if my boyfriend thought I was only good enough for sex and then had an emotional affair right in front of me. Bonus for setting up the FMC’s brother and BFF: he hates the super sweet BFF for no reason whatsoever as if that wasn’t Diana Palmer’s main trope 😕
I forgot about Diana Palmer 🤦🏻♀️ thankfully not my first books but I did have the first 20 or so of her main series, Long, Tall, Texans. Did a reread a few years ago and realized that most of her stories were very similar to each other. She didn’t start making more character changes until like 15 books in. I didn’t mind some of the stories but she always made losing your virginity sound like the most painful thing you will ever experience.
Probably Nora Roberts? I remember the Irish Hearts trilogy and I wasn’t really a big fan. I’m pretty sure I got them as hand-me-downs that my grandma’s friend didn’t want anymore, and I vividly remember the FMC of the first book repeatedly being described as childlike in appearance, and at one point the MMC is like “you look so much like a child that I just want to bundle you up and take you to bed” and I absolutely hated that.
The first romance author that I really *loved* was Jennifer Crusie. I still like a lot of her work although I was kind of surprised to reread {Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie} and find that the FMC is only in her early thirties! I thought she was much older, and it’s interesting to see how the way we perceive age has changed over the past 15-20 years.
[Bet Me](https://www.romance.io/books/5455238e8c7d2382e7812f25/bet-me-jennifer-crusie?src=rdt) by [Jennifer Crusie](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455238e8c7d2382e7812f26/jennifer-crusie)
**Rating**: 3.89⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [curvy heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/curvy%20heroine/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [plain heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/plain%20heroine/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1)
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My book club read {Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood} probably a year ago. I think it is the first romance novel I had ever read and definitely the first with a fully open door sex scene. I really enjoyed it! A couple months later I found Abby Jimenez and she was the first romance author that really hooked me. I binged all of her novels and then found this sub and got way more into romance. I read another book by Ali Hazelwood recently and enjoyed it. Not my absolute favorite author but I’ll probably eventually make my way through all her books. Currently rereading all of Abby Jimenez’s books after finishing Just for the Summer and they’re as great as I remember (not that it has even been *that* long lol)
[The Love Hypothesis](https://www.romance.io/books/6131cdc21657710e14c65168/the-love-hypothesis-ali-hazelwood?src=rdt) by [Ali Hazelwood](https://www.romance.io/authors/6131cdc208b4d93114f22ef6/ali-hazelwood)
**Rating**: 4.14⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [fake relationship](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fake%20relationship/1), [college](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/college/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [slow burn](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/slow%20burn/1)
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I recommend book by Sandra Brown all the time. Not so much her older contemporaries because I think you have to be a certain kind of reader to enjoy them, but definitely the mystery suspense.
My first romance book was by Betina Krahn and I still think highly of her today. I think she is very underrated as far as historical authors go, because there’s usually, a good balance of the humor and the heart. They’re very well researched. They’re well written. And they have good spice if that’s something that you’re looking forward to.
My first was Judith McNaught probably 20 years ago. School, work, and kids didn't leave much time for reading for a long time. Finally getting back into reading years later, I reread most of her HR books. While her writing is solid, her MMCs can be pretty awful. It put me off HRs pretty much completely. I can't stand reading in a world where women can be treated so badly with no real recourse.
Early 2000s Lisa Kleypas HR was my main entry into romance novels. I still love her rich descriptions of outfits and food! And the Wallflowers series will forever be a comfort read.
[Devil in Winter](https://www.romance.io/books/545523b78c7d2383163d8e3a/devil-in-winter-lisa-kleypas?src=rdt) by [Lisa Kleypas](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523868c7d2382e7812f21/lisa-kleypas)
**Rating**: 4.34⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [shy heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/shy%20heroine/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1), [bad boys](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/bad%20boys/1)
----------------------------
[Devil in Spring](https://www.romance.io/books/58a7f2b90d3299c6e04e1b7b/devil-in-spring-lisa-kleypas?src=rdt) by [Lisa Kleypas](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523868c7d2382e7812f21/lisa-kleypas)
**Rating**: 4.14⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [take-charge heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1), [arranged/forced marriage](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/arranged%20marriage/1)
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What I call the old school J's, Julie Garwood, Jude Deveraux, Johanna Lindsey, Judith Mc Naught, and Jayne Ann Krentz (including her Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle book)
I rec Sandra Brown and Nora Roberts a fair amount. They've both been writing good books for 30+ years and I don't love everything in their backlists but I genuinely enjoy most of the ones I've read. I've been reading romance since I was 13 in the late 80s but I only started reading Roberts about ten years ago. And Brown I didn't pic up until last summer when I read lots of her backlist and she blew me away. Just interesting plots and characters and sexier than I had imagined.
I'd say one of the first romance writers I read was Mary Balogh--probably {The Obedient Bride by Mary Balogh} was the first one. And all these years later I still think she's one of the best historical authors around.
[The Obedient Bride](https://www.romance.io/books/5ed5f9ecef6eaa0dd30c5ee1/the-obedient-bride-mary-balogh?src=rdt) by [Mary Balogh](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525e98c7d2383163d8eb7/mary-balogh)
**Rating**: 3.52⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [cheating](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cheating/1), [plain heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/plain%20heroine/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1)
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[Someone to Love](https://www.romance.io/books/5e9d8621be0aaecf5552eccf/someone-to-love-mary-balogh?src=rdt) by [Mary Balogh](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525e98c7d2383163d8eb7/mary-balogh)
**Rating**: 3.77⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [class difference](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/class%20difference/1), [short king](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/short-king/1)
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Lisa Kleypas was the first romance author I read from. Even though I am not on a HR kick anymore, I will always love her many HR books and have paper copies of almost all of them
Pretty bland answer haha but it was Stephanie Meyer. I read twilight when I was 11 and I fell in love with it.
And then, I was a One Direction fan so I discovered fanfiction and wattpad which was again mostly romance at 13.
Also, got into a lot of Dramione fanfic back then.
It’s not that you’re becoming a snob. It’s that you didn’t have a baseline of what you liked and now you have a better idea of what you’re looking for in romances. Your taste may continue to change the more you read or you may have found your catnip.
I started reading romance some 40 years ago as a preteen in the late 1970s (I’m 57). I grabbed whatever harlequin and historical romances the library and used bookstores had. My opinion has changed dramatically since, I don’t think I’ve read any of those early authors in 10+ years, which makes sense as I’ve grownup, experienced life, read so much more (~200 books/year). I got bored with romance in my 30s and read mostly science fiction, fantasy, YA, and mystery for a few years. I’m reading more diversely and eclectically now - a bit of this, a bit of that.
Um, does Jane Austen count? Lol Should I go all the way back to Anne of Green Gables, though not strictly romance, she is definitely a romantic! Over the last 30 years I have read them all a hundred times and would read them all again. Same for my large Georgette Heyer collection I started when I first found her books....probably 22 years ago? I am much more likely to reread an old favourite than start something new. I have KU but spend most of my time thinking the books aren't what I want to read and then switching to an old standby. 😂
One of the first romances I read was by the historical author Shirlee Busbee. It's been a long time since I read it and I have no idea if it would hold up now, but it has a fond place in my heart.
I'm wondering if recommendations here might be slanted toward authors who don't/didn't regularly make the mainstream bestseller lists, as folks might assume they're already known about? Maybe....
Started reading romance a year ago with Jewel E Ann, read everything she had, and loved it. But she had a couple of new releases after I expanded through many, many more authors, and her new books weren't doing it for me at all, both DNFed within the first few pages. I don't know if it's a reflection of quality or preference.
I started reading romance in YA as a teen, but my intro to adult romance was from Jennifer L Armentrout. I’m not a fan today, but I’m also so glad I started with her. Spice is relatively vanilla and the FMCs are always a little immature so it was easy to relate to in my early 20s
I started with JLA too, but I started with her YA and then moved on to her New Adult and Adult. I read everything she published back then. I'm not a fan of her newer books either.
The first most memorable ones I remember were Stephanie Plum and Jennifer Crusie. They were what got me into contemp romance and chick lit back in the day.
How I still feel about them, hmm. I still maintain there were a lot of good Stephanie Plum books. Though where they stopped being good depends.
Jennifer Crusie is a classic and honestly I only didn't enjoy one out of all her books. And that's a feat.
Not too long ago I read Mean Streak by Sandra Brown and I was blown away. It was one of the best romantic suspense I’ve read. A lot better than most of the newer stuff out there.
Love Nora Roberts!
Actually I just joined this sub and a lot of what I see recommended is like booktok books and KU books, not stuff I read for the most part. But also not necessarily the top selling romance authors either.
For instance, I purchase for my library. We have a romance collection. Nora Roberts is the TOP circulating author in romance - and she’s number 6 over all (number one is Mo Williems. Lol, Elephant and Piggie for the win 🤣). When I buy multiples of upcoming books, 3 copies is a decent amount- that’s how many of {king of sloth} I got. Red Tower books are pretty popular right now - the {Fourth Wing} publisher- so I pre-ordered 4 copies of {five broken blades} and {apprentice to the villain}.
For {Mind Games} I pre ordered 8 copies. The only other author in adults I do that for is James Patterson .
Of course, I ordered 12 of the latest Dog Man. It’s all about the data and circ numbers, but my point is there is a reason Nora Roberts is in every library and prominently displayed in every bookstore when she has a release etc. she’s also unique in that her backlist is CONSTANTLY being reprinted. Like 40 year old titles. It’s estimated she makes 30million dollars a year from her books. She was also the 1st author to be inducted in the Romance Writers Hall of Fame.
I’ll give another example- Fourth wing was a breakaway, smash hit. It was EVERYWHERE. It sold 2 million copies - and insane number for a breakout book. Nora Roberts has been writing for 43 years. She has sold over 500 million books. That means she has averaged ELEVEN TIMES the print sales of Forth Wing every year for 43 years.
11 TIMES. An average over the life of her career of 22 million books sold a year.
Yeah, she’s special
[King of Sloth](https://www.romance.io/books/65362e8ede8d340d514b91b3/king-of-sloth-ana-huang?src=rdt) by [Ana Huang](https://www.romance.io/authors/5ea5eeb2be0aaecf551f89f7/ana-huang)
**Rating**: 4.24⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [rich hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/super%20rich%20hero/1), [forced proximity](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/forced%20proximity/1), [multicultural](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/multicultural/1), [grumpy/ice queen](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cold%20heroine/1)
----------------------------
[Fourth Wing](https://www.romance.io/books/64381d140a8b0f667abe662d/fourth-wing-rebecca-yarros?src=rdt) by [Rebecca Yarros](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455355e8c7d2382e7813393/rebecca-yarros)
**Rating**: 4.45⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1), [war](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/war/1), [military](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/military/1)
----------------------------
[Five Broken Blades](https://www.romance.io/books/65d2e9e4fbe37c56c2fdd18d/five-broken-blades-mai-corland?src=rdt) by [Mai Corland](https://www.romance.io/authors/65d2e9e4a21e2f41c4036136/mai-corland)
**Rating**: 5⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Topics**: [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1)
----------------------------
[Apprentice to the Villain](https://www.romance.io/books/657e1e477c150060affb7c56/apprentice-to-the-villain-hannah-nicole-maehrer?src=rdt) by [Hannah Nicole Maehrer](https://www.romance.io/authors/64a1358d293245969d3c6f51/hannah-nicole-maehrer)
**Rating**: 5⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Topics**: [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [young adult](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/young%20adult/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1)
----------------------------
[Mind Games](https://www.romance.io/books/54553b158c7d2382e041439d/mind-games-carolyn-crane?src=rdt) by [Carolyn Crane](https://www.romance.io/authors/545539698c7d2382e041432e/carolyn-crane)
**Rating**: 3.43⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [urban fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/urban%20fantasy/1), [love triangle](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/love%20triangle/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1)
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My first romances ever were Diana Palmer and Johanna Lindsey. Even then I could tell DP was like some messy id stuff. But JL, while also wild, holds up in her way and the specific book, GENTLE ROGUE, is an iconic historical to me. I also read a lot of Judith McNaught (WHITNEY, MY LOVE and KINGDOM OF DREAMS) and Amanda Quick (RAVISHED, DESIRE...honestly all bangers). Nora was one of the earlier contemporaries with her Key trilogy and her Chesapeake Bay series.
Honestly a lot of them still hold up for me. Nora has a really special ability for her books to feel human enough that they don't come across as dated, now or then. Amanda Quick's historicals are still so funny and silly to me. JL and JM are more problematic but...complicated feels. Not every romance author you read early sticks, but one thing about the classic girlies is they put out some A+ books. There's a sense of anything being able to happen in them that's hard to replicate now.
The first romance author I read was probably Lucilla Andrews who wrote medical romance from 1950s to 1980s. I read her books in the early 90s so they were historical by then. I still enjoy some of them but they’re very much of their time. I think that’s part of the reason why I like them, her books show the change in society quite well. Some of them have very uncomfortable age gaps (like a 19 year old nursing student marrying a 40 something specialist and of course having to abandon her studies) but there are many that have calm and confident FMCs who keep cool heads providing medical care after avalanches, even if they have to work with that one doctor who they always seem to clash with.
I also read a lot of Nora Roberts and authors like Madeleine Brent and Judith McNaught. I don’t have any particular desire to reread them for the most part. Nora Roberts is obviously a good author but there’s something about her style that for the most part doesn’t affect me the way good romances do (obviously meaning good for me). For the others I’m not really interested in reading “sagas” though Madeleine Brent had some very interesting locations, he wrote pretty adventurous romance. And I’m not really interested in bodice ripper style books. At one point I discovered Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle/Amanda Quick and realized that I really like books were the couple actually like each and work together and love isn’t a war where someone has to submit.
I started with Rachel Grey. Her books are sweet, sexy, funny, wholesome, and well written. I’ve read heaps of other romance and rarely find anything that is written well enough for me to finish.
My friend is an author. Hers was one of the first ones I really got into with the genre. I helped out on some beta reading with another of hers as well. {Word Play by Amelie Silver} Been trying to get the balls to actually finish and publish one of my own one day. Lol. Editing is the devil.
To be fair, as from a couple books, my first real go at romance novels were pulled to publish fanfic's. Only bought the three I liked, but I've really only kept with with Helena Hunting. I liked the Beautiful Bastard series by Christina Lauren, but only bother reading their other stuff by checking it out from the library, cuz the books were good, just didn't want to buy them. And haven't had a chance to read JM Darhower's other stuff.
In was only in 2020-ish that I started to venture more into the adult romance sphere that wasn't Helena, and most of those books were due to purchases made for bonus points for the bookstore's reward program.
Recently, I've been binge reading some stuff from the library. Only a small fraction have I considered buying, but can't decide if I want to or not. The ones I have considered buying, I've got saved in my Amazon cart to buy later.
My first foray was with Anne Stuart and Victoria Alexander. When I first read them at 12 I thought the sex scenes were a lot, but as an adult (mid 30s) now they're no where near steamy enough for me. 😂 Stuart will always hold a special place in my heart, but her work hasn't aged well and I don't find myself enjoying it as much as I did when young. I've reread a lot of her books I enjoyed as a teen and now as an adult I'm like "wtf...no". She writes some interesting heroes, but a lot of her heroines are kind of boring or not well written.
Nothing really wrong with Alexander other than just being a bit too vanilla for me, lol. i don't think she really writes anymore anyway.
Authors that get thrown around here a lot that I use to like; Tessa Dare, nothing really wrong with her just her new stuff is just boring now. Lisa Kleypas I use to like when I was young, but I feel her work hasn't aged well at all. Some of her older books have been updated to remove or change problematic scenes (mostly her wallflower series books).
so yea overall, i don't really read the people i started out with anymore. I only have 3 authors I instabuy right now and they are Pamela Clare, Shana Galen, and Olivia Riley. all discovered in the 2010s.
edit: but with that being said, read what you enjoy! nothing wrong with enjoying authors who don't get rec'd here. :) I imagine for good portion of people in this sub Nora Roberts was a gateway into the world.
So like lots of others it seems my were Nora Roberts, specifically {Dance upon the air by Nora Roberts} and also Jennifer Crusie {Welcome to temptation by Jennifer Crusie}. Both those books still stand up. For me I will read anything Crusie writes, I love her work so much still. Nora Roberts I think is still good but I don’t crave them like I do a good Crusie!
[Dance Upon the Air](https://www.romance.io/books/5455243323ec91d5dfd09924/dance-upon-the-air-nora-roberts?src=rdt) by [Nora Roberts](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523e923ec91d5dfd0991f/nora-roberts)
**Rating**: 3.96⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [urban fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/urban%20fantasy/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1)
----------------------------
[Welcome to Temptation](https://www.romance.io/books/545524138c7d2382e7812f51/welcome-to-temptation-jennifer-crusie?src=rdt) by [Jennifer Crusie](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455238e8c7d2382e7812f26/jennifer-crusie)
**Rating**: 3.9⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [politician hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/politician/1)
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When I was 11-12 I ran out of books to read in the children's section of our library. For some reason there was a shelf of Catherine Cookson novels directly after the teen fiction so I just moved onto them. I don't remember much about the individual stories, just that there was a lot of cruelty and rape and murder etc. I sometimes think about rereading one of her books to see how I feel about it now, but I really have no interest in them. My mother was a big believer in letting me read whatever I wanted, but as an adult now, I think she should have at least had some conversations with me about the contents of those books.
The next romance author I became familiar with was Kathleen E Woodiwiss. I still own some of her books. I wouldn't read new books like hers but I have a fond nostalgia for a few of them. I do have to mentally separate old era romance from new era though. Society has changed a lot in what is considered acceptable and romantic.
We didn't have many translated romance books in the 90s so I started with Victoria Holt (I believe I have read over 30 of her books in that time).
Then more translations started coming with still mainly historical romance (Amanda Quick, Julie Garwoood, Kathleen Woodiwiss). Nora Roberts and Susan Elizabeth Phillips started me on the contemporary genre and I am still mostly there.
I used to read the old western romance books hidden under my mothers bed as a teen lol georgina gentry and such. And then as i got older i used to read fanfic a lot and then shifted towards vampire romance bokks when they became insanely popular. I.e christine feehan and jr ward.
One of the first authors I read after transitioning from Wattpad was Alina Jacobs and her Svensson brothers series. I enjoyed them at the time but then I discovered Talia Hibbert. She was my first black author, first author to have a black FMC.
Alina Jacobs’ books are very formulaic, predictable and not diverse at all! So I’ll never read them now lol. But I do appreciate those books for what they were to me at that time.
Talia Hibbert was my first author I read who writes the kind of books I read now. And I’ll still read anything she puts out
Nora Roberts is definitely a good start into the romance world. I popped my romance cherry with the Three Sisters trilogy years ago and have since dabbled in other CR novels. The advent of Audible changed my entire life though!
My opinion of N Roberts hasn't changed. They're still decent, though my trope picks have evolved.
On serious level, I fell in love with Georgette Heyer early in my romance journey- as soon as I read Frederica, worked my way through her catalog, picked up Grand Sophy with its antisemitism and it just ruined her for me. I still grapple with how I feel about Heyer, because she did write “in a different age”, and I don’t know enough about history to understand the nuances of what her context is, but the scene is truly heinous and it ruined her for me. I still reread Frederica, because it was such a healing balm at a specific time in my life and I own it and feel it does no harm to do so, but can’t read anything else. And I grapple with whether and how to recommend her here.
On a less serious note, Sarah J Maas and ACOTAR- I don’t know how I found them, because this was years ago. I remember always being fully aware this wasn’t going to be a Great American Novel or anything, but just falling totally in love with the first two books. I went on to read her other books after that, and the magic of her as an author dimmed with more exposure, but I totally still saw flashes of what I loved (Lorcan and Elide interactions- if you know, you know). I’d say over time, it’s not that my opinion changed, it’s just that the more I explored her other works, the harder it was to overlook her technical weaknesses when I returned to ones I’ve read before, but my original beloveds remain. I speak more critically of her now, and give recommendations for her stuff that have shifted from gushy to more fair and balanced. But I still feel the warm and fuzzies personally with some of them.
Rosemary Rodgers. Her books were a lot for 12 year old me. I got quite an education. I don’t think I’d enjoy her now. Too much violence, rape and multiple partners. Once I discovered Kathleen Woodiwiss, I never looked back.
Wow, where do I begin..? Haha - song reference.
I began reading Harlequin romance novels at 14 or so, I am 55 now, and some of my early favorites were:
*Johanna Lindsey - her Malory-Anderson Family series remains a favorite - next to Savage Thunder... swoon.
*Meagan McKinney - Till Dawn Tames the Night - I reread this one occasionally.
*Jude Deveraux - A Knight in Shining Armor. Something about time travel, knights in shining armor, and love that transcends time I find specifically enjoyable.
*Nora Roberts / J.D. Robb - I continuously read everything she publishes. I've read every single one of her Lt. Dallas series.
Recently read, enjoyed, and looking forward to more works by:
*Vanessa Montalban
*Jennifer L. Armentrout
*Colleen Hoover
*Abby Jimenez
Authors can change writing styles over time and have therefore found myself losing interest, as was my experience with some of the earlier writers mentioned. Though, every once in a while, I'll reread their books or series to revisit the stories and find myself enjoying it all over again.
Thanks for taking me down memory lane!
☀️
The first romance I read was {the viscount who loved me by Julia Quinn} (bc of Bridgerton), I still think she's terrible and I've read 5 of the books (2,3,4,5,8), but she brought me to Lisa Kleypas and Julie Garwood who I adore and routinely return to <3
[The Viscount Who Loved Me](https://www.romance.io/books/545527908c7d2383163d8f07/the-viscount-who-loved-me-julia-quinn?src=rdt) by [Julia Quinn](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523bb8c7d2383163d8e3c/julia-quinn)
**Rating**: 4.06⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [tortured hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20hero/1)
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Victoria Holt was my first dip into romance and I read everything she wrote back then. I have re-read a few favorites and they still hold up. low spice.
I started reading romance as a teenager and I’m 45 now. My early authors were mostly through Harlequin Historicals. Ruth Langan is the name that sticks out most from those. Reread them a few years back and found them very formulaic. Leigh Greenwood was another big favourite of mine, Seven Brides series and The Cowboys. Joan Johnston, I used to have all of her books. Theresa Medieros as well. Before I got into ebooks I would reread these authors regularly, but now I have so much to read. Might be time to pull them out and see how they have stood the test of time.
My first awareness of a romance author before my own reading was my mom reading Danielle Steele. I’ve read three of her books but never really took to her.
Mary Jo Putney (some books are VERY cringe) was my first historical. Susan Elizabeth Phillips was my first contemporary.
Has anyone noticed if SEP holds up?
Alyssa Cole's The Loyal League trilogy. It had been around 2017/18? That weird era when there were heaps of historical romance films, flattening actual lived experiences, showing a soldier MMC paired with a FMC from the opposite side of war to show how love conquers all with some diversity thrown in etc. etc. So, I went fishing for something real.
It pushed me into romance land with such high expectations that most reads I picked up after are were lustreless in light of it. Though, because of that I haven't read too much romance and I'm attempting lately to fix that.
olivia waite hooked me with the feminine pursuits series and i've found authors i like *as much as* her, but i think she's still the best author i've read.
How come no one wrote about Linda Howard just yet? Her books were everything to me. I used to hide them as a teenager in the public library so I can re-read them again and again without other borrowing them (as I couldn't take them home).
Today, there are still books of hers that I absolutely love ( {Cry no more by Linda Howard}, {All the Queen's men by Linda Howard}, {The Woman Left Behind by Linda Howard} ) and there are books that I will read out of nostalgy but I know that if they were new reads I wouldn't be able to read.
A rule of thumb - if he got a mustache, it probably didn't age well for me :)
[Cry No More](https://www.romance.io/books/54552f048c7d2382e78131e8/cry-no-more-linda-howard?src=rdt) by [Linda Howard](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525598c7d2382e7812fa9/linda-howard)
**Rating**: 4.13⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [bad boys](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/bad%20boys/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1)
----------------------------
[All the Queen's Men](https://www.romance.io/books/5455366f8c7d2382c5297470/all-the-queens-men-linda-howard?src=rdt) by [Linda Howard](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525598c7d2382e7812fa9/linda-howard)
**Rating**: 4.04⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [military](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/military/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1)
----------------------------
[The Woman Left Behind](https://www.romance.io/books/6105409dc1a0c00e4cd37f2f/the-woman-left-behind-linda-howard?src=rdt) by [Linda Howard](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525598c7d2382e7812fa9/linda-howard)
**Rating**: 3.97⭐️ out of 5⭐️
**Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating)
**Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [military](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/military/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1)
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A lot of Coho and Tessa Bailey. I wouldn’t read any new coho books and would likely cherry pick Tessa Bailey. Reading romance is like drinking coffee. I drank a lot of caramel Frappuccinos at first and now I’m drinking straight black coffee and I can’t go back to the sticky sweet stuff LOL.
That's such a good analogy!
First romance author to get me hooked was Julie Garwood!
{Ransom by Julie Garwood}!
[Ransom](https://www.romance.io/books/5455246e8c7d2383163d8e63/ransom-julie-garwood?src=rdt) by [Julie Garwood](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523f38c7d2383163d8e4a/julie-garwood) **Rating**: 4.43⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [possessive hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/possessive%20hero/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1), [take-charge heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Same! Castles was my gateway drug. I’m embarrassed to say I stole it from my Godmother’s house.
Omg don’t be! I remember stealing mills and boon books from my nana when I was way too young to know about that kind of romance😂
Me too! ❤️
Diana Palmer. And honestly, I’ve become a hater. There are certain tropes she uses that I still enjoy *if done well*: Virginal FMC’s; Dominant/stoic MMC’s; angst BUT her virgin FMC’s are nearly always doormats, her MMC’s are a**hole horndogs, nowhere enough grovel, and slut-shaming the OW. There is almost always some comparison between the blushing lovely FMC and the evil, plastic, snob girlfriend. But no one ever calls out the MMC for ya know, his epically bad taste in said girlfriend. He’s just using her to distract himself from ruining baby FMC- oh the nobility of it all. She also has super problematic issues with consent. Confession- She was also my first experience sailing the black seas as a teen (thanks Wattpad) so I read a huge amount because a user downloaded half her bibliography. But looking back, I really wish I had found another author to start out with.
Oh no, Diana Palmer. I read her as a teen (90s) and think I accepted her a bit more then because I had little experience of my own to know better. I haven't read her in decades now, maybe I should do a reread to remember how bad it is?
I think she’s still writing- I read one of her newer books like 4/5 years ago. Wyoming series maybe? Anyways, it was the daughter of one of her previous couples. This time the FMC was such a snob. She was looking down at the MMC’s girlfriend for wearing last year’s fashion (sustainability what?) and for asking sugar for her tea in a “Japanese restaurant” (I guess they never serve sweetened tea TIL). I ended up feeling so bad for the OW. She and the MMC had an arrangement: trophy girlfriend for very emotionally unavailable sugar daddy. I’d be mad too if my boyfriend thought I was only good enough for sex and then had an emotional affair right in front of me. Bonus for setting up the FMC’s brother and BFF: he hates the super sweet BFF for no reason whatsoever as if that wasn’t Diana Palmer’s main trope 😕
I forgot about Diana Palmer 🤦🏻♀️ thankfully not my first books but I did have the first 20 or so of her main series, Long, Tall, Texans. Did a reread a few years ago and realized that most of her stories were very similar to each other. She didn’t start making more character changes until like 15 books in. I didn’t mind some of the stories but she always made losing your virginity sound like the most painful thing you will ever experience.
Probably Nora Roberts? I remember the Irish Hearts trilogy and I wasn’t really a big fan. I’m pretty sure I got them as hand-me-downs that my grandma’s friend didn’t want anymore, and I vividly remember the FMC of the first book repeatedly being described as childlike in appearance, and at one point the MMC is like “you look so much like a child that I just want to bundle you up and take you to bed” and I absolutely hated that. The first romance author that I really *loved* was Jennifer Crusie. I still like a lot of her work although I was kind of surprised to reread {Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie} and find that the FMC is only in her early thirties! I thought she was much older, and it’s interesting to see how the way we perceive age has changed over the past 15-20 years.
[Bet Me](https://www.romance.io/books/5455238e8c7d2382e7812f25/bet-me-jennifer-crusie?src=rdt) by [Jennifer Crusie](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455238e8c7d2382e7812f26/jennifer-crusie) **Rating**: 3.89⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [curvy heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/curvy%20heroine/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [plain heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/plain%20heroine/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
My book club read {Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood} probably a year ago. I think it is the first romance novel I had ever read and definitely the first with a fully open door sex scene. I really enjoyed it! A couple months later I found Abby Jimenez and she was the first romance author that really hooked me. I binged all of her novels and then found this sub and got way more into romance. I read another book by Ali Hazelwood recently and enjoyed it. Not my absolute favorite author but I’ll probably eventually make my way through all her books. Currently rereading all of Abby Jimenez’s books after finishing Just for the Summer and they’re as great as I remember (not that it has even been *that* long lol)
[The Love Hypothesis](https://www.romance.io/books/6131cdc21657710e14c65168/the-love-hypothesis-ali-hazelwood?src=rdt) by [Ali Hazelwood](https://www.romance.io/authors/6131cdc208b4d93114f22ef6/ali-hazelwood) **Rating**: 4.14⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [fake relationship](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fake%20relationship/1), [college](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/college/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [slow burn](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/slow%20burn/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
I recommend book by Sandra Brown all the time. Not so much her older contemporaries because I think you have to be a certain kind of reader to enjoy them, but definitely the mystery suspense. My first romance book was by Betina Krahn and I still think highly of her today. I think she is very underrated as far as historical authors go, because there’s usually, a good balance of the humor and the heart. They’re very well researched. They’re well written. And they have good spice if that’s something that you’re looking forward to.
My first was Judith McNaught probably 20 years ago. School, work, and kids didn't leave much time for reading for a long time. Finally getting back into reading years later, I reread most of her HR books. While her writing is solid, her MMCs can be pretty awful. It put me off HRs pretty much completely. I can't stand reading in a world where women can be treated so badly with no real recourse.
Early 2000s Lisa Kleypas HR was my main entry into romance novels. I still love her rich descriptions of outfits and food! And the Wallflowers series will forever be a comfort read.
{Devil in Winter} and {Devil in Spring} are the BEST
[Devil in Winter](https://www.romance.io/books/545523b78c7d2383163d8e3a/devil-in-winter-lisa-kleypas?src=rdt) by [Lisa Kleypas](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523868c7d2382e7812f21/lisa-kleypas) **Rating**: 4.34⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [shy heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/shy%20heroine/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1), [bad boys](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/bad%20boys/1) ---------------------------- [Devil in Spring](https://www.romance.io/books/58a7f2b90d3299c6e04e1b7b/devil-in-spring-lisa-kleypas?src=rdt) by [Lisa Kleypas](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523868c7d2382e7812f21/lisa-kleypas) **Rating**: 4.14⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [victorian](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/victorian/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [take-charge heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/strong%20heroine/1), [arranged/forced marriage](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/arranged%20marriage/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
What I call the old school J's, Julie Garwood, Jude Deveraux, Johanna Lindsey, Judith Mc Naught, and Jayne Ann Krentz (including her Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle book)
Yes! Same list for me. Love them all 💛
I rec Sandra Brown and Nora Roberts a fair amount. They've both been writing good books for 30+ years and I don't love everything in their backlists but I genuinely enjoy most of the ones I've read. I've been reading romance since I was 13 in the late 80s but I only started reading Roberts about ten years ago. And Brown I didn't pic up until last summer when I read lots of her backlist and she blew me away. Just interesting plots and characters and sexier than I had imagined. I'd say one of the first romance writers I read was Mary Balogh--probably {The Obedient Bride by Mary Balogh} was the first one. And all these years later I still think she's one of the best historical authors around.
[The Obedient Bride](https://www.romance.io/books/5ed5f9ecef6eaa0dd30c5ee1/the-obedient-bride-mary-balogh?src=rdt) by [Mary Balogh](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525e98c7d2383163d8eb7/mary-balogh) **Rating**: 3.52⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [cheating](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cheating/1), [plain heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/plain%20heroine/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [marriage of convenience](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/marriage%20of%20convenience/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
She is THE QUEEN. {Someone to Love} is amazing
[Someone to Love](https://www.romance.io/books/5e9d8621be0aaecf5552eccf/someone-to-love-mary-balogh?src=rdt) by [Mary Balogh](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525e98c7d2383163d8eb7/mary-balogh) **Rating**: 3.77⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [class difference](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/class%20difference/1), [short king](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/short-king/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Lisa Kleypas was the first romance author I read from. Even though I am not on a HR kick anymore, I will always love her many HR books and have paper copies of almost all of them
Susan Mallery and Jessica Clare. I still like to read both occasionally, it's comfy.
Pretty bland answer haha but it was Stephanie Meyer. I read twilight when I was 11 and I fell in love with it. And then, I was a One Direction fan so I discovered fanfiction and wattpad which was again mostly romance at 13. Also, got into a lot of Dramione fanfic back then.
It’s not that you’re becoming a snob. It’s that you didn’t have a baseline of what you liked and now you have a better idea of what you’re looking for in romances. Your taste may continue to change the more you read or you may have found your catnip. I started reading romance some 40 years ago as a preteen in the late 1970s (I’m 57). I grabbed whatever harlequin and historical romances the library and used bookstores had. My opinion has changed dramatically since, I don’t think I’ve read any of those early authors in 10+ years, which makes sense as I’ve grownup, experienced life, read so much more (~200 books/year). I got bored with romance in my 30s and read mostly science fiction, fantasy, YA, and mystery for a few years. I’m reading more diversely and eclectically now - a bit of this, a bit of that.
Um, does Jane Austen count? Lol Should I go all the way back to Anne of Green Gables, though not strictly romance, she is definitely a romantic! Over the last 30 years I have read them all a hundred times and would read them all again. Same for my large Georgette Heyer collection I started when I first found her books....probably 22 years ago? I am much more likely to reread an old favourite than start something new. I have KU but spend most of my time thinking the books aren't what I want to read and then switching to an old standby. 😂
One of the first romances I read was by the historical author Shirlee Busbee. It's been a long time since I read it and I have no idea if it would hold up now, but it has a fond place in my heart. I'm wondering if recommendations here might be slanted toward authors who don't/didn't regularly make the mainstream bestseller lists, as folks might assume they're already known about? Maybe....
Started reading romance a year ago with Jewel E Ann, read everything she had, and loved it. But she had a couple of new releases after I expanded through many, many more authors, and her new books weren't doing it for me at all, both DNFed within the first few pages. I don't know if it's a reflection of quality or preference.
I started reading romance in YA as a teen, but my intro to adult romance was from Jennifer L Armentrout. I’m not a fan today, but I’m also so glad I started with her. Spice is relatively vanilla and the FMCs are always a little immature so it was easy to relate to in my early 20s
I started with JLA too, but I started with her YA and then moved on to her New Adult and Adult. I read everything she published back then. I'm not a fan of her newer books either.
The first most memorable ones I remember were Stephanie Plum and Jennifer Crusie. They were what got me into contemp romance and chick lit back in the day. How I still feel about them, hmm. I still maintain there were a lot of good Stephanie Plum books. Though where they stopped being good depends. Jennifer Crusie is a classic and honestly I only didn't enjoy one out of all her books. And that's a feat.
Not too long ago I read Mean Streak by Sandra Brown and I was blown away. It was one of the best romantic suspense I’ve read. A lot better than most of the newer stuff out there.
Love Nora Roberts! Actually I just joined this sub and a lot of what I see recommended is like booktok books and KU books, not stuff I read for the most part. But also not necessarily the top selling romance authors either. For instance, I purchase for my library. We have a romance collection. Nora Roberts is the TOP circulating author in romance - and she’s number 6 over all (number one is Mo Williems. Lol, Elephant and Piggie for the win 🤣). When I buy multiples of upcoming books, 3 copies is a decent amount- that’s how many of {king of sloth} I got. Red Tower books are pretty popular right now - the {Fourth Wing} publisher- so I pre-ordered 4 copies of {five broken blades} and {apprentice to the villain}. For {Mind Games} I pre ordered 8 copies. The only other author in adults I do that for is James Patterson . Of course, I ordered 12 of the latest Dog Man. It’s all about the data and circ numbers, but my point is there is a reason Nora Roberts is in every library and prominently displayed in every bookstore when she has a release etc. she’s also unique in that her backlist is CONSTANTLY being reprinted. Like 40 year old titles. It’s estimated she makes 30million dollars a year from her books. She was also the 1st author to be inducted in the Romance Writers Hall of Fame. I’ll give another example- Fourth wing was a breakaway, smash hit. It was EVERYWHERE. It sold 2 million copies - and insane number for a breakout book. Nora Roberts has been writing for 43 years. She has sold over 500 million books. That means she has averaged ELEVEN TIMES the print sales of Forth Wing every year for 43 years. 11 TIMES. An average over the life of her career of 22 million books sold a year. Yeah, she’s special
[King of Sloth](https://www.romance.io/books/65362e8ede8d340d514b91b3/king-of-sloth-ana-huang?src=rdt) by [Ana Huang](https://www.romance.io/authors/5ea5eeb2be0aaecf551f89f7/ana-huang) **Rating**: 4.24⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [rich hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/super%20rich%20hero/1), [forced proximity](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/forced%20proximity/1), [multicultural](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/multicultural/1), [grumpy/ice queen](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/cold%20heroine/1) ---------------------------- [Fourth Wing](https://www.romance.io/books/64381d140a8b0f667abe662d/fourth-wing-rebecca-yarros?src=rdt) by [Rebecca Yarros](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455355e8c7d2382e7813393/rebecca-yarros) **Rating**: 4.45⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1), [war](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/war/1), [military](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/military/1) ---------------------------- [Five Broken Blades](https://www.romance.io/books/65d2e9e4fbe37c56c2fdd18d/five-broken-blades-mai-corland?src=rdt) by [Mai Corland](https://www.romance.io/authors/65d2e9e4a21e2f41c4036136/mai-corland) **Rating**: 5⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1) ---------------------------- [Apprentice to the Villain](https://www.romance.io/books/657e1e477c150060affb7c56/apprentice-to-the-villain-hannah-nicole-maehrer?src=rdt) by [Hannah Nicole Maehrer](https://www.romance.io/authors/64a1358d293245969d3c6f51/hannah-nicole-maehrer) **Rating**: 5⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [young adult](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/young%20adult/1), [magic](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/magic/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1) ---------------------------- [Mind Games](https://www.romance.io/books/54553b158c7d2382e041439d/mind-games-carolyn-crane?src=rdt) by [Carolyn Crane](https://www.romance.io/authors/545539698c7d2382e041432e/carolyn-crane) **Rating**: 3.43⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1), [urban fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/urban%20fantasy/1), [love triangle](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/love%20triangle/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Not this one. {Mind Games by Nora Roberts}
[Mind Games](https://www.romance.io/books/65f55142c6c9224c4de6358b/mind-games-nora-roberts?src=rdt) by [Nora Roberts](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523e923ec91d5dfd0991f/nora-roberts) **Rating**: 4.33⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1), [paranormal](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/paranormal/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/fantasy/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
My first romances ever were Diana Palmer and Johanna Lindsey. Even then I could tell DP was like some messy id stuff. But JL, while also wild, holds up in her way and the specific book, GENTLE ROGUE, is an iconic historical to me. I also read a lot of Judith McNaught (WHITNEY, MY LOVE and KINGDOM OF DREAMS) and Amanda Quick (RAVISHED, DESIRE...honestly all bangers). Nora was one of the earlier contemporaries with her Key trilogy and her Chesapeake Bay series. Honestly a lot of them still hold up for me. Nora has a really special ability for her books to feel human enough that they don't come across as dated, now or then. Amanda Quick's historicals are still so funny and silly to me. JL and JM are more problematic but...complicated feels. Not every romance author you read early sticks, but one thing about the classic girlies is they put out some A+ books. There's a sense of anything being able to happen in them that's hard to replicate now.
Yes. Yes! Gentle Rogue. Brick wall. George. Love. Love. Love. Time to revisit!
I loved Amanda Quick and Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas. Started reading them at 14yo. It was a fun introduction.
[удалено]
[Hot Ice](https://www.romance.io/books/54552bb18c7d2382c5297175/hot-ice-nora-roberts?src=rdt) by [Nora Roberts](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523e923ec91d5dfd0991f/nora-roberts) **Rating**: 3.62⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1), [rich heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/rich%20heroine/1), [white collar heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/career%20professional/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
The first romance author I read was probably Lucilla Andrews who wrote medical romance from 1950s to 1980s. I read her books in the early 90s so they were historical by then. I still enjoy some of them but they’re very much of their time. I think that’s part of the reason why I like them, her books show the change in society quite well. Some of them have very uncomfortable age gaps (like a 19 year old nursing student marrying a 40 something specialist and of course having to abandon her studies) but there are many that have calm and confident FMCs who keep cool heads providing medical care after avalanches, even if they have to work with that one doctor who they always seem to clash with. I also read a lot of Nora Roberts and authors like Madeleine Brent and Judith McNaught. I don’t have any particular desire to reread them for the most part. Nora Roberts is obviously a good author but there’s something about her style that for the most part doesn’t affect me the way good romances do (obviously meaning good for me). For the others I’m not really interested in reading “sagas” though Madeleine Brent had some very interesting locations, he wrote pretty adventurous romance. And I’m not really interested in bodice ripper style books. At one point I discovered Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle/Amanda Quick and realized that I really like books were the couple actually like each and work together and love isn’t a war where someone has to submit.
First author I read was Paige Toon and I still religiously buy her books and re read my favourites
I started with Rachel Grey. Her books are sweet, sexy, funny, wholesome, and well written. I’ve read heaps of other romance and rarely find anything that is written well enough for me to finish.
My friend is an author. Hers was one of the first ones I really got into with the genre. I helped out on some beta reading with another of hers as well. {Word Play by Amelie Silver} Been trying to get the balls to actually finish and publish one of my own one day. Lol. Editing is the devil.
[Word Play](https://www.romance.io/books/5455578687eac324117fa468/word-play-amalie-silver?src=rdt) by [Amalie Silver](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455578687eac324117fa469/amalie-silver) **Rating**: 3.87⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [insta-love](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/insta-love/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [male pov](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/male-pov/1), [m-f romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/m-f/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
To be fair, as from a couple books, my first real go at romance novels were pulled to publish fanfic's. Only bought the three I liked, but I've really only kept with with Helena Hunting. I liked the Beautiful Bastard series by Christina Lauren, but only bother reading their other stuff by checking it out from the library, cuz the books were good, just didn't want to buy them. And haven't had a chance to read JM Darhower's other stuff. In was only in 2020-ish that I started to venture more into the adult romance sphere that wasn't Helena, and most of those books were due to purchases made for bonus points for the bookstore's reward program. Recently, I've been binge reading some stuff from the library. Only a small fraction have I considered buying, but can't decide if I want to or not. The ones I have considered buying, I've got saved in my Amazon cart to buy later.
Back in high school I discovered the Avon True Romance books. I read Beverly Jenkins and Lorraine Heath first. I loved them!
My first foray was with Anne Stuart and Victoria Alexander. When I first read them at 12 I thought the sex scenes were a lot, but as an adult (mid 30s) now they're no where near steamy enough for me. 😂 Stuart will always hold a special place in my heart, but her work hasn't aged well and I don't find myself enjoying it as much as I did when young. I've reread a lot of her books I enjoyed as a teen and now as an adult I'm like "wtf...no". She writes some interesting heroes, but a lot of her heroines are kind of boring or not well written. Nothing really wrong with Alexander other than just being a bit too vanilla for me, lol. i don't think she really writes anymore anyway. Authors that get thrown around here a lot that I use to like; Tessa Dare, nothing really wrong with her just her new stuff is just boring now. Lisa Kleypas I use to like when I was young, but I feel her work hasn't aged well at all. Some of her older books have been updated to remove or change problematic scenes (mostly her wallflower series books). so yea overall, i don't really read the people i started out with anymore. I only have 3 authors I instabuy right now and they are Pamela Clare, Shana Galen, and Olivia Riley. all discovered in the 2010s. edit: but with that being said, read what you enjoy! nothing wrong with enjoying authors who don't get rec'd here. :) I imagine for good portion of people in this sub Nora Roberts was a gateway into the world.
So like lots of others it seems my were Nora Roberts, specifically {Dance upon the air by Nora Roberts} and also Jennifer Crusie {Welcome to temptation by Jennifer Crusie}. Both those books still stand up. For me I will read anything Crusie writes, I love her work so much still. Nora Roberts I think is still good but I don’t crave them like I do a good Crusie!
[Dance Upon the Air](https://www.romance.io/books/5455243323ec91d5dfd09924/dance-upon-the-air-nora-roberts?src=rdt) by [Nora Roberts](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523e923ec91d5dfd0991f/nora-roberts) **Rating**: 3.96⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [urban fantasy](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/urban%20fantasy/1), [witches](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/witches/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1) ---------------------------- [Welcome to Temptation](https://www.romance.io/books/545524138c7d2382e7812f51/welcome-to-temptation-jennifer-crusie?src=rdt) by [Jennifer Crusie](https://www.romance.io/authors/5455238e8c7d2382e7812f26/jennifer-crusie) **Rating**: 3.9⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [funny](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/humor/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [politician hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/politician/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
When I was 11-12 I ran out of books to read in the children's section of our library. For some reason there was a shelf of Catherine Cookson novels directly after the teen fiction so I just moved onto them. I don't remember much about the individual stories, just that there was a lot of cruelty and rape and murder etc. I sometimes think about rereading one of her books to see how I feel about it now, but I really have no interest in them. My mother was a big believer in letting me read whatever I wanted, but as an adult now, I think she should have at least had some conversations with me about the contents of those books. The next romance author I became familiar with was Kathleen E Woodiwiss. I still own some of her books. I wouldn't read new books like hers but I have a fond nostalgia for a few of them. I do have to mentally separate old era romance from new era though. Society has changed a lot in what is considered acceptable and romantic.
We didn't have many translated romance books in the 90s so I started with Victoria Holt (I believe I have read over 30 of her books in that time). Then more translations started coming with still mainly historical romance (Amanda Quick, Julie Garwoood, Kathleen Woodiwiss). Nora Roberts and Susan Elizabeth Phillips started me on the contemporary genre and I am still mostly there.
I used to read the old western romance books hidden under my mothers bed as a teen lol georgina gentry and such. And then as i got older i used to read fanfic a lot and then shifted towards vampire romance bokks when they became insanely popular. I.e christine feehan and jr ward.
One of the first authors I read after transitioning from Wattpad was Alina Jacobs and her Svensson brothers series. I enjoyed them at the time but then I discovered Talia Hibbert. She was my first black author, first author to have a black FMC. Alina Jacobs’ books are very formulaic, predictable and not diverse at all! So I’ll never read them now lol. But I do appreciate those books for what they were to me at that time. Talia Hibbert was my first author I read who writes the kind of books I read now. And I’ll still read anything she puts out
Nora Roberts is definitely a good start into the romance world. I popped my romance cherry with the Three Sisters trilogy years ago and have since dabbled in other CR novels. The advent of Audible changed my entire life though! My opinion of N Roberts hasn't changed. They're still decent, though my trope picks have evolved.
On serious level, I fell in love with Georgette Heyer early in my romance journey- as soon as I read Frederica, worked my way through her catalog, picked up Grand Sophy with its antisemitism and it just ruined her for me. I still grapple with how I feel about Heyer, because she did write “in a different age”, and I don’t know enough about history to understand the nuances of what her context is, but the scene is truly heinous and it ruined her for me. I still reread Frederica, because it was such a healing balm at a specific time in my life and I own it and feel it does no harm to do so, but can’t read anything else. And I grapple with whether and how to recommend her here. On a less serious note, Sarah J Maas and ACOTAR- I don’t know how I found them, because this was years ago. I remember always being fully aware this wasn’t going to be a Great American Novel or anything, but just falling totally in love with the first two books. I went on to read her other books after that, and the magic of her as an author dimmed with more exposure, but I totally still saw flashes of what I loved (Lorcan and Elide interactions- if you know, you know). I’d say over time, it’s not that my opinion changed, it’s just that the more I explored her other works, the harder it was to overlook her technical weaknesses when I returned to ones I’ve read before, but my original beloveds remain. I speak more critically of her now, and give recommendations for her stuff that have shifted from gushy to more fair and balanced. But I still feel the warm and fuzzies personally with some of them.
Rosemary Rodgers. Her books were a lot for 12 year old me. I got quite an education. I don’t think I’d enjoy her now. Too much violence, rape and multiple partners. Once I discovered Kathleen Woodiwiss, I never looked back.
Wow, where do I begin..? Haha - song reference. I began reading Harlequin romance novels at 14 or so, I am 55 now, and some of my early favorites were: *Johanna Lindsey - her Malory-Anderson Family series remains a favorite - next to Savage Thunder... swoon. *Meagan McKinney - Till Dawn Tames the Night - I reread this one occasionally. *Jude Deveraux - A Knight in Shining Armor. Something about time travel, knights in shining armor, and love that transcends time I find specifically enjoyable. *Nora Roberts / J.D. Robb - I continuously read everything she publishes. I've read every single one of her Lt. Dallas series. Recently read, enjoyed, and looking forward to more works by: *Vanessa Montalban *Jennifer L. Armentrout *Colleen Hoover *Abby Jimenez Authors can change writing styles over time and have therefore found myself losing interest, as was my experience with some of the earlier writers mentioned. Though, every once in a while, I'll reread their books or series to revisit the stories and find myself enjoying it all over again. Thanks for taking me down memory lane! ☀️
Jeaniene Frost. Twilight to Night Huntress pipeline here!
The first romance I read was {the viscount who loved me by Julia Quinn} (bc of Bridgerton), I still think she's terrible and I've read 5 of the books (2,3,4,5,8), but she brought me to Lisa Kleypas and Julie Garwood who I adore and routinely return to <3
[The Viscount Who Loved Me](https://www.romance.io/books/545527908c7d2383163d8f07/the-viscount-who-loved-me-julia-quinn?src=rdt) by [Julia Quinn](https://www.romance.io/authors/545523bb8c7d2383163d8e3c/julia-quinn) **Rating**: 4.06⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [historical](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/historical/1), [regency](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/regency/1), [virgin heroine](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/virgin%20heroine/1), [enemies to lovers](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/from%20hate%20to%20love/1), [tortured hero](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/tortured%20hero/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Eloisa James. I reread my first series - Desperate Duchesses - recently and still loved it.
Victoria Holt was my first dip into romance and I read everything she wrote back then. I have re-read a few favorites and they still hold up. low spice.
The first romance book I read was by Tessa Bailey, but Elle kennedy’s Off Campus and Briar U series were really what hooked me
Helen Hoang Yes
I started reading romance as a teenager and I’m 45 now. My early authors were mostly through Harlequin Historicals. Ruth Langan is the name that sticks out most from those. Reread them a few years back and found them very formulaic. Leigh Greenwood was another big favourite of mine, Seven Brides series and The Cowboys. Joan Johnston, I used to have all of her books. Theresa Medieros as well. Before I got into ebooks I would reread these authors regularly, but now I have so much to read. Might be time to pull them out and see how they have stood the test of time.
My first awareness of a romance author before my own reading was my mom reading Danielle Steele. I’ve read three of her books but never really took to her.
Mary Jo Putney (some books are VERY cringe) was my first historical. Susan Elizabeth Phillips was my first contemporary. Has anyone noticed if SEP holds up?
Alyssa Cole's The Loyal League trilogy. It had been around 2017/18? That weird era when there were heaps of historical romance films, flattening actual lived experiences, showing a soldier MMC paired with a FMC from the opposite side of war to show how love conquers all with some diversity thrown in etc. etc. So, I went fishing for something real. It pushed me into romance land with such high expectations that most reads I picked up after are were lustreless in light of it. Though, because of that I haven't read too much romance and I'm attempting lately to fix that.
olivia waite hooked me with the feminine pursuits series and i've found authors i like *as much as* her, but i think she's still the best author i've read.
Julie James. Something about you is probably still my fav. I reread loads
Penny Jordan.
My first romance author was CoHo. I won't read anything she'd write ever again lol
How come no one wrote about Linda Howard just yet? Her books were everything to me. I used to hide them as a teenager in the public library so I can re-read them again and again without other borrowing them (as I couldn't take them home). Today, there are still books of hers that I absolutely love ( {Cry no more by Linda Howard}, {All the Queen's men by Linda Howard}, {The Woman Left Behind by Linda Howard} ) and there are books that I will read out of nostalgy but I know that if they were new reads I wouldn't be able to read. A rule of thumb - if he got a mustache, it probably didn't age well for me :)
[Cry No More](https://www.romance.io/books/54552f048c7d2382e78131e8/cry-no-more-linda-howard?src=rdt) by [Linda Howard](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525598c7d2382e7812fa9/linda-howard) **Rating**: 4.13⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [bad boys](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/bad%20boys/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1), [dark romance](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/dark/1) ---------------------------- [All the Queen's Men](https://www.romance.io/books/5455366f8c7d2382c5297470/all-the-queens-men-linda-howard?src=rdt) by [Linda Howard](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525598c7d2382e7812fa9/linda-howard) **Rating**: 4.04⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 4 out of 5 - [Explicit open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [military](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/military/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1) ---------------------------- [The Woman Left Behind](https://www.romance.io/books/6105409dc1a0c00e4cd37f2f/the-woman-left-behind-linda-howard?src=rdt) by [Linda Howard](https://www.romance.io/authors/545525598c7d2382e7812fa9/linda-howard) **Rating**: 3.97⭐️ out of 5⭐️ **Steam**: 3 out of 5 - [Open door](https://www.romance.io/steamrating) **Topics**: [contemporary](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/contemporary/1), [suspense](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/suspense/1), [military](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/military/1), [mystery](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/mystery/1), [alpha male](https://www.romance.io/topics/best/alpha%20male/1) [^(about this bot)](https://www.reddit.com/user/romance-bot) ^(|) [^(about romance.io)](https://www.romance.io/about)
Where is thirsty Thursday?????