A dancer who has one shot to make it to Broadway misses itand in the arms of a sexy NYC baker, for a romance that is as yummy as his bakes. American heroine with perfect life arrives in St. Petersburg to discover her dead father has left her a multimillion-dollar and a business arrangement with a billionaire French media mogul. Plus sized spinster gives herself a male prostitute for her 30th bday. This story of recovery even shows up in comedies. Love Always, Kate (Love Always, #1) by. The heroine lost her memory and is desperate to understand herself, so she seeks out the only person she can find who might help -- her ex-boyfriend, who still has a thing for herif only he can forgive her. 4. Dying Young (1991): Really only suitable for those who feel the need to see every film in the Julia Roberts oeuvre, this sad tale was an early career misfire in which she plays an aimless young woman named Hilary who ends up nursing rich-kid Victor (Campbell Scott), who is dying of leukemia. Estranged lovers is a theme James comes back to time and time again in her novelsthree times in the Desperate Duchesses series alone! published 2014, avg rating 4.14 This pattern of recovery with the support of a hero who sees the strength of the heroine, has repeated itself across all the romance sub-genres awarded in the RITA Award, from historicals to contemporary romantic comedies to paranormals and even the recently revived category of mainstream fiction with romantic elements. Lisa Kudrow, Votes: Most of these romances begin not when the heroines are traumatized, but when they have decided to take action to improve their lives. Take Carolina Dreamingby Virginia Kantra, the 2017 RITA winner in the Contemporary Mid-Length category. BUY INDIE, M/M Georgian historical. Secret baby, second chance at love story. Regency historical;My favorite Quinn. The emergence of this subgenre both reflects and participates in a shift of what is acceptable to say about breast cancer and expands the range of romance novel topics, including, among other innovations, cancer narratives for lesbian and African American characters. Arranged marriage to hot Scotsman. It's very touching, and is one of the few Ward books I still recommend. BUY INDIE, Delightful modern-day secret baby story -- a one-night stand turns into much more when the hero & heroine meet again 4 months later. Old money billionaire Wall Street banker falls for his assistant, whos had a long time unrequited thing for him for years. . Deliciously funny. Heroine has mastectomy and pushes away from the hero. BUY INDIE, Modern amnesia story. Listen to the Fated Mates episode of The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever. Under duress. 13. A fun thing about Romance.io is it allows you to track the romance books you read, similar to Goodreads! She decides to go to the Continent for some experimental treatments that help her be not quite so frail and returns to England, where she comes face-to-face with her first love (the MMC) who is very much the Alpha male type. She's a plus-sized veterinarian, and their letters are awesome. The hero and heroine are being hunted by rich dudes as part of their death sentence on a futuristic prison planet. The ebook comes bundled with Welcome to Temptationanother of my favorites! By: Mia Sheridan | 352 pages | Published: 2017 | Popular Shelves: romance, contemporary, contemporary-romance, new-adult, read-in-2017 | Search "Most Of All You by Mia Sheridan". 8. Thief heroine steals one penny from his hoard. BUY INDIE, Victorian historical. Very cleverly written. Heroine who survived a a serial killer as a young woman returns home to find a copycat at playand the childhood sweetheart (now FBI agent) who will do anything to keep her safe. r/RomanceBooks is a discussion sub for readers of romance novels. Want to Read. Childhood friends to lovers. Erotic contemporary; artist heroine paints tattoo on movie star hero, and they can't get enough of each other. Perfect for the tween/early-teen in your life. Here lives Rob, who exiled himself to the Scottish wilderness to escape his own demons. Self-described ugly girl and the police officer who thinks shes anything but. Personal chef to a rock band falls for studio musician with a devastating past. Unrequited friends-to-lovers/second chance romance. My first historical. | Gross: Stars: Old School Romance. Their triumph is inevitably earned by the heroines own efforts, which are recognized (eventually) and encouraged by the hero. Plus-sized heroine horribly bullied in high school falls for her bully in college. Then theres the abused widow in Tender Texan, again by Jodi Thomas, the Short Historical winner in 1992. French heroine with abusive past is now chef at ski resort. Guilt-stricken, Morgan decides to take care of her. While still liable to many of the criticisms leveled by feminists in the 1980s and beyond, romances can tell new stories as well as the old ones, expanding an inadequate set of cultural and emotional vocabularies. Where it all begins -- the wallflower/rake romance I wanted to read so much, I sat down and wrote it. RELATED: Historical Romance Novels That Will Steal Your Heart. NYC-set sexy contemporary; New York police officer hero, rich-girl heroine. MMF Menage. by. Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #2) by. 100 min Rate this book. Two survivors of a violent attack at a research lab in Antarctica have to trek across a harsh landscape to safetythere will be danger-banging. BUY INDIE. 12. It will be great. Director: Heroine is unable to have children, and thinks that she's unable to have the hero because of it. Inspired by a true story, a comedy centered on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease. Obviously, shes traumatized but working toward a solution. Hunky owner wants to love her. My first contemporary novella Her career in tatters, a celebrity photographer retreats to the British countryside to find fluffy sheep, rolling hillsand a stern, sexy secret duke. She's beautiful, caring, and doesn't have a bad bone in her body. The first in a truly bananas hockey series this one begins with the hero & heroine surviving a plane crash only to discover that they work together. And do not read about it before you read it.BUY INDIE. CLICK CLICK**. And, of course, he comes to believe in her. Yummy. Listen to the The Hating Game episode of Fated Mates. Bathtub scene that will slay you. Mental illness subplot. Must have an HEA. Librarian heroine with disdain for love becomes an internet meme; hero is a journalist trying to set her up for a story. (2001): Baz Luhrmanns masterpiece is a love-it-or-hate-it kind of movie, but between the killer mashup soundtrack, the glorious art direction, and one of the best performances of Nicole Kidmans post-Cruise resurgence, its probably more loved than it is hated. Erotic historical. Medieval Scotland. RELATED: 14 Western Romance Books to Make You Yearn for a Cowboy of Your Own. Bright Star (2009): The most artful and delicate film on this list, Jane Campions gorgeous meditation on doomed love follows Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) as she and poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) tumble into romance just in time for him to contract tuberculosis. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. | Maybe the solitude of nature will help her recuperate. Hero is secretary of a Regency sex club; heroine is hired to work at the club and soon becomes his sexual dominant. **, BUY INDIE; Listen to the Best of 2020 Episode of Fated Mates. Regency historical;Duke hero, barmaid heroine. A delightful, sexy book.BUY INDIE. Im up to 70 books in my Great RITA Read, and I cannot stress how wrong this assumption is. Duke/governess romance--hedonistic Duke (complete with sex swing!) An irreverent young woman who uses her humor to prevent matters from getting serious has a life-changing visit with her doctor. Blame her for all of this. I Love You (2007): A twist on the genre: Hollys (Hilary Swank) husband Gerry (Gerard Butler) dies from a brain tumor at the beginning of the film but he still manages to teach her a lesson via a series of posthumous letters (all ending with P.S. New York set with chick-lit overtones. The young orphan heroine of The Lurid Lady Lockport by Kasey Michaels, the 1985 Regency Romance winner, who insists on being treated as equal despite having no real power, at least until she insists on it. scholars. A young widow discovers that her late husband has left her 10 messages intended to help ease her pain and start a new life. BUY INDIE, Sexy contemporary; friends-to-lovers. When things go sideways at a Medieval tourney, a lady who has switched places with her maid for a chance to ogle the champions, finds herself hiding in the woods with one of them. BUY INDIE, Stunning erotic historical debut with hints of gothic and modern. The first in a bloody, dirty fantasy series that has all the expansive world building of Game of Thrones and all the grunting alpha hero and brash heroine of an old school romance. 95 min (SERIOUSLY) Debut. | Second book features the servant masquerading as a lord. BUY INDIE. | **, This book is what happens when you put small town romances and menage romance into a reactor and slam them together. And I've your at all paranormal inclined, Lover Eternal by J.R Ward has a heroine who's been through multiple cancer battles and is still fighting. Gus Van Sant directs Henry Hopper as Enoch, who visits other peoples funerals for no apparent reason. score: 989 , and 10 people voted. Newly graduated heroine falls for a graduate student in the summer after college, then realizes love might not be possible between them. Autistic heroine hires a male escort with an eye toward learning about sex and relationships. One of the best historical romances ever written. Regency historical; If 50 Shades were published in the Regency, how would women respond? They tumble into love. Hero is sentenced to 200 hours of community service at a non-profit run by the heroine. She spends most of the novel in a wheelchair, wary of anyone pitying her, while she struggles to regain some of her physical mobility. He finally finds he can't resist her. An unrequited love story set in the NBA, heroine is in an abusive relationship with a basketball player, loved from afar by one of his rivals. But it seems that no one else is liking the minty-fresh look. It can be really frustrating, especially if you're trying to describe it to someone else or it's a romance book you'd like to read again because you loved it so much the first time! A little bit D/s romance, a little bit boss/employee romance and a really terrific, uniquely structured romance. The guy is Keith (Jesse McCartney), a cancer-ridden no-goodnik who tells goody-goody Natalie (Elisabeth Harnois) who is trying to get a tennis scholarship to Duke that she needs to relax. 4. A Walk to Remember (2002): Leave it to Nicholas Sparks to write a novel about the death of a teen that makes your eyes roll instead of water. Second in a delightful erotic historical series -- hero is an Alpha submissive, heroine is the girl he loved madly but got away because he was afraid to tell her the truth. New York-set sexy contemporary; boss-assistant romance. (Many would tell you this one is best read last in the Scoundrels quartet.). Possibly my favorite romance of all time. Scandal & Scoundrel Book II - My sex tape romance, except it's 1835, so there's no sex tape. At Harvard, rich boy Oliver (Ryan ONeal, before he was totally crazy) falls in love with working-class Jenny (Ali McGraw) and marries her even though it means that his father cuts him off financially. A love story set against the backdrop of family responsibility and expectation.BUY INDIE. Bareknuckle Bastards Book I - Absolute scoundrel reprobate hero bent on revenge seduces the heroine out from under his enemyand falls head over heels in love. Now Is Good (2012): Tessa (Dakota Fanning) has been undergoing chemo for several years to treat her leukemia, but it isnt working. | Theres zero chemistry between them, and their repeated breakups and reunions continuously strain credulity. Imagine if the XMen were less superhero-y and also sexy, broken men. 15. (Buy Indie), Delicious secret billionaire story. Emery has been living with a chronic but invisible illness for a long time. Heroine is having the worst week of her life when an actor moves into her apartment and makes everything more complicated. They begin a texting relationship. Anna Kendrick, When a small-town pastor and the owner of a sex-toy pavilion let sparks fly, they FLY. $106.40M, PG And sexy. Yes! Widowed heroine named Passion finds same at the Crystal Palace Exhibition only to discover that the man she craves is betrothed to her cousin. Flynn wants to help Sunday move on and heal from her physical and mental pain. Medieval historical - The reimagined story of Eleanor Plantagenet and Simon de Montfort. Guilt stricken and smothered by grief, he moves to a tiny coastal community and takes up the position of the local lighthouse keeper. She's been hired to assist Noah, who says he doesn't need help. | Erotic romance set on a futuristic prison planet. Elisabeth Harnois, NYC-born heroine gets fed up with her prospects and takes her life in hand, answering a call from two strapping men in a small town in Montana.**. Laura Dern, Votes: | Harry Connick Jr., Home of the magic search button and endless book recommendations as well as discussions about tropes and characters, Author AMAs, book clubs, and more. published 2015, avg rating 4.23 Gangster hero thought he lost the woman he loved years ago, so imagine his surprise when he finds her, alive and well and with his secret baby.**. Privileged heroine and self-appointed bodyguard hero. To get back the estate where he grew up, a cold-hearted scoundrel must marry the only girl who ever warmed his heart. | I'm feeling kind of fragile lately, so I'd love your recs of books where the heroine is injured/ill and the hero helps her recover or, like, sits by her bedside and is distraught and protective. Not Sell My Personal Information. He doesn't believe in commitment; she won't settle for anything lessit doesn't matter how hot he is. First in a regency historical series; The Scarlet Pimpernel meets Regency Romance with a chick-lit wrapper. An incredibly soft romance with two lovely heroes. Old school romance. In It Had To Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, winner of 1994 Best Romance Award, the first chapter is set at the funeral of the heroine's father, a ruthless businessman and owner of the Chicago Stars NFL team. | Elizabeth Shue plays Sera, the prostitute whose love isnt quite enough to save him. Fool Me Twice by Meredith Duran, the 2015 Historical Romance: Long winner, is a Regency-set historical with a heroine who falsifies references to gain entry into the home of a Duke. Regency historical; Charlie & the Chocolate Factory meets the Bachelor. "Kisses should not leave you satisfiedthey should leave you wanting.. Gybbon will care for this feisty woman who wants justice for her family. Small-town contemporary. Listen to the Fated Mates Dreaming of You episode. Older heroine running for City Council canvasses the home of a younger, blind, dirty-talking, virgin, recluse billionaire. Beautiful, honest, sexy book. BUY INDIE, Contemporary. BUY INDIE. 1. NYC-set contemporary romance; chef hero, heroine trying to prove herself to her celebrity chef mom. Scandal & Scoundrel Book III - Marriage in trouble, with a Bachelor-style competition for a new duchess and a duke who's still in love with his wife. She ran away from home, created a new life and fabulous persona for herself, and shows up at his funeral in an outrageous outfit with her little dog and her friend, a prominent male model. They are trapped in his private rail car for three days. Love is the best medicine in these hurt/comfort stories. Melanie Lynskey, Seth Meyers, and More Support WGA Amid Negotiations. Hero has other plans. flag. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. After their failed elopement, the hero heads to war and the heroine marries another; when she's widowed, she places an ad for a new husband--only to have her first love reappear. Hero is a millionaire president of a bank. Plus-sized heroine and her unrequited childhood crush. Maria V. Snyder (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating 44,857 ratings. Hijinx ensue. a work forever in progress (and in no particular order), SHAMELESS PROMO ALERT: Preorder the next book in my Hells Belles series -- a little bit girl from the wrong side of the river, a little bit stern brunch dukeand a lot only one bed on a road trip!BUY INDIE, Electric chemistry, a cast of characters who are absolutely perfect, and game changing writing. BUY INDIE, There arent many holiday romances on this list, because the list is year-round recommendations but you know what? He could never show her love or even affection and he certainly never believed in her. Set against backdrop of a rebuilding New Orleans. Leaving Las Vegas (1995): Nicolas Cage may have made a few stinkers after starring in this film, but he certainly deserved his Oscar for playing Ben, an alcoholic who goes to Las Vegas to literally drink himself to death. Old School Romance. LibraryThing catalogs yours books online, easily, quickly and for free. The last thing she needs is a total stranger caring for her, yet Jesse finds new strength through Mary and a way to confront his past demons. Theres definitely . That didnt work out, and neither did this teen weeper starring Sobieski as a girl who is diagnosed with bone cancer and caught in a love triangle between the boy shes always liked (Hartnett) and the rich jock she just met (Klein). Absolutely magnificent Chicago-set contemporary. Heroine has mastectomy and pushes away from the hero. Four-volumes about young Ivy Leavold, who turns up at her cousin's home to find her dead, and her husband deeply compelling. Marrying the Ghost of Karl Lagerfeld at the 2023 Met Gala. (Hes eventually accepted.) Its super duper fun.**. Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, youll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. And then they fall for each other. Eye on Romance is romance novel and author directory you can use to search for books by theme, hero or heroine's name, or character type. Josh Boone An accidental pregnancy leads to a shotgun marriage between an astronaut and a woman he doesnt have time to love, because love will distract from winning the Space Race. 1,212 ratings 1,952 ratings Second in a series with the same triad, but I read it first and it was perfect.**. BUY INDIE, Contemporary. Asexual hero. -It doesn't turn out that the heroine was never sick to begin with (so no Everything, Everything or The Blue Castle) -Cancer is only okay IF it meets the above criteria (so no The . BUY INDIE. So, I remember reading this book ages ago. BUY INDIE. And if all else fails, talk to your local librarian! Lush. Hero (in love with another) agrees to marry her for her reputation. As Natalie can be uptight, Keith proves to be the opposite, even while hiding a secret. Gerard Butler, Carrigans of the Circle C. North Star. Emotional and wildly sexy**, When the police cant do anything to help stop her stalker, the heroine decides to take matters into her own hands and hire a hit manthe hero. The Fault in Our Stars (2014): The elusive good teens dying of cancer movie! Magnificent rep for mental illness. The next time someone calls romance frilly fantasies, smack one of these books into their hands and make them eat their words. Hero is a bad-boy actor with a reputation problem. In memory of all the fictional characters that gave their lives so that their sweethearts could lead more meaningful ones, here is a ranking of 18 terminal romances. Desolate and evocative. Beautiful. I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. An absolutely perfect Paris-set historical featuring a Dominican rum heiress who takes the Worlds Fair by stormand brings a hot Scot to his knees in the process. Whatever will they do? Regency historical. You loved Magic Mike XXL and now theres a romance novel just for you. We're hoping to make life a little bit easier for your today by giving you the resources to find the title of romance novel you've forgotten! Want to Read. As one does. CIA officer Patrick Killion has been tasked with apprehending an assassin, and Audrey is the number one suspect. 7. Guilt-stricken, Morgan decides to take care of her. Romantic adventure at its best. You can view Barnes & Nobles Privacy Policy, Buy One, Get One 50% Off Books for All Ages, It Had to Be You (Chicago Stars Series #1), Fool Me Twice (Rules for the Reckless Series #2), The Texan's Reward (Wife Lottery Series #4), Copyright & Very sexy/bordering on erotic. So charming. Nick Cassavetes Director: Jonathan Levine | Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard. (And, yes, her rapist gets a comeuppance in this book.) 2023 Vox Media, LLC. Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin, Regency historical; gaming hell owning hero, heroine lost to him in a card game. Regency Historical; Stuffy British ship's captain; young, scandalous American heroine in disguise as cabin boy. Contradictory movements have accompanied greater freedoms in discussing breast cancer, and this essay argues that feminists can find in romance novels a powerful site, supplementary to feminist theory and activism, for elaborating a productive and critical public breast cancer discourse. Romantic suspense. Get tissues. Dressed as Karl Lagerfelds beloved cat, Choupette. I think they do live apart for a while, and hero visits her and she pushes him away, acts . Stars: 6,332 ratings Hero falls for his best friend's sister, who has read the book. The heroine contracts scarlet fever and nearly dies. Hero and heroine were childhood sweethearts before he had to escape the orphanage where they lived. BUY INDIE, Listen to the Fated Mates episode about A Heart of Blood and Ashes, A beautiful, sexy romance between a woman learning to trust the world and a man learning to trust himself. Warrior is a contemporary western-set category, originally published as a Silhouette Desire. Lovely, lovely romance. The stories are about their recoveries. Former gang member hero is just out of prison and trying to set himself straight. Heroine needs a fake-boyfriend to fend off irritating family questions, and finds one in sexy single-dad contractor. Delicious enemies to lovers romance -- hero has been dumped by his fiancee and is convinced her best friend is the reason whyof course, the best friend is the heroine! The second in a prison planet series is basically sexy-The Most Dangerous Game. Not saying we should start prepping but we should start prepping. Part celebrity romance, part down on her luck heroine, part educational kissingall awesome. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. If youre attracted to someone on the yacht, the worst thing you can do is tell Gary. The two of them are still trying to process their loss while caring for the family's many children. A beautiful romance about life and love and how they intersect. 17. Drama, Romance. Hells Belles Book 1 -- A little bit girl gang, a little bit sisters best friend-to-lover, a little bit scandalous heroine meets secretive heroand a lot fierce, sexy fated mates. Arguably the greatest romance novel of all time, Austen's Pride and Prejudice follows the opinionated heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, as she frequently finds herself at odds with her beau, the uptight Mr. Darcy. BDSM erotic contemporary. What she couldn't have predicted was that the man she tried to rob would be sympathetic to her cause and would nurse her until they were ready to seek revenge. | Gross: 215,254 You've already combed through your Kindle, checked your bookshelf, and looked at your shelves on Goodreads, but you still can't figure out the name of a book. Black Lives Matter activist and an Assistant District Attorney fall in love in this wonderful, honest look at love that is the romance 2019 deserves. Look it up. The two open restaurant together, very sexy and fun. 100 min Houston, 1965. It killed her sister and left her mother broken-hearted beyond repair. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. Criteria for this list: -Book ends in HEA. Sexy contemporary;advice columnist heroine who is faking relationship experience, librarian hero helps her make it all real. Hero is a crusty duke who falls in love with the heroine, then discovers she's a witch. The story of fated mates gone wrong.BUY INDIE, Erotic contemporary; heroine turning over bad girl leaf, damaged artist hero. All these details are clues in identifying the title and author of the book. Definitely my favorite hero. Sweet November (2001): This remake of a 1968 film stars Charlize Theron as Sara, a woman with leukemia who likes to have monthlong affairs with certain gentlemen. Married couple goes on holiday with their best friend, and oops, turns out theyre all in love! Me Before You (2016): Will (Sam Claflin) is paralyzed in a motorcycle accident and decides to commit assisted suicide. Cookie Notice The great thing about the internet is that, if searching online doesn't help, crowdsourcing just may be the ticket! Rich 20-something Harold (Bud Cort) doesnt know his beloved Maude (Ruth Gordon) is going to kill herself before the moment she does it or does he? When it comes to quick and dirty reads, there are few that deliver both steam and emotion like Brill Harper. | Gross: A Little Bit of Heaven (2011): Kate Hudson has made some bad choices in her film career, but few worse than this stinker in which she plays a cancer patient who is granted three wishes by God (Whoopi Goldberg). Restless (2011): Hopelessly twee and too hip for its own good, this movie even has a manic pixie dying-of-cancer girl. But soon he finds himself falling for the woman he's supposed to hand over to the authorities. Scandal & Scoundrel Book I - My road trip romance! Impossible Love. Professional city-girl dancer is paired with an Alaskan wilderness mountain man on a Dancing With the Stars-style show. Director: (To say nothing of how well the book portrays the heros struggle with alcoholism.) 14. The hero is a rich Minotaur in a world where humans and monsters coexist. | Gross: When a spaceship crash lands on a planet with an atmosphere of pure aphrodisiac, a human space soldier and an alien have no choice but to turn to each other for help. Sexy contemporary. BUY INDIE, Deeply emotional BDSM male/male romance about a jaded aging submissive and the young dominant who changes everything.BUY INDIE, Listen to the Fated Mates episode about For Real, Orphaned daughter turns up on the doorstep of an irresponsible duke. RAT CATCHER. I also want to get the Early Bird Books newsletter featuring great deals on ebooks. Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature is a scholarly journal devoted to the study of the There are so many stories of women dealing with real-life issues, so many heroines who have suffered horrible traumas, including, but not limited to: the deaths of beloved family members; sexual assault; exile; cancer; and crushing poverty. What starts off as a classic alpha-submissive, billionaire hero/working class domme romance ends up as a pretty delightful example of the real work romance can do when it sets out to do it. The James Joyce Quarterly, along with its sister journal, Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature, is published by the University of Tulsa, a private university founded in 1894. She loses (of course), but wins the hero's heart in the balance.BUY INDIE, Paranormal shifter romance. 2023 Met Gala Carpet Is Approved by Your Dentist. As happens. In Once and For All: An American Valor Novel,by Cheryl Etchison, the RITA Winner for Best First Book in 2017, the heroine has gone through cancer treatment twice and seeks a way for a new beginning, desperately wanting to be seen as a whole person and not a patient. After her wedding reception is ruined by her groom sleeping with someone else, the heroine finds herself on her honeymoon with his cousina guy who's had a thing for her for years.