The book that started it all

pwm in mi · Joined: 19 Oct 2011 Posts: 193

I had read Pride and Prejudice many years ago and really loved the films (both bbc and Keira Knightly version). I realy liked the era and started looking into romances in the regency era. What got the ball rolling was Julia Quinn's The Duke and I.

jantep · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 25

The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer.

limagal · Joined: 17 Jul 2010 Posts: 88 Location: lima, peru

I more or less simultaneously bought 2 books at Goodwill, to pass some time when I was staying at a cousin's house on a trip back home. before that I had read some georgett heyer, etc that did not inspire me and maybe a bodice ripper or 2 way back. The 2 books that started it "Wings of the Storm" by Susan Sizemore - sexy, time travel and the best surprise twist ever!

Cee · Joined: 19 Feb 2009 Posts: 198

My mom had romance novels when I was growing up, sometimes I would peek at them. The first one I remember reading is A Year and a Day by Virginia Henley. I flipped right to the sex scene and my eyes just about fell out of my head. I was probably around 11 or 12. When I was fifteen I started reading Nora Roberts and Linda Howard (I wouldn't be surprised if I'm the youngest person on this board, which is why I started with those authors. The classic authors of the 70s and 80s were way before my time).

I've always been a lover of romance, even as a little kid my favourite part of books or movies was the romance and the kissing. Laughing

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"When the day shall come, that we do part," he said softly, and turned to look at me, "if my last words are not 'I love you' -- ye'll ken it was because I didna have time."

Outlandish · Joined: 22 Jul 2011 Posts: 68 Location: USA

Mark · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 1248

I've read F&SF since my teens, and enjoyed many that include romantic threads.
The first nominally romance book I read (in my late 30s) was Heyer's Sprig Muslin, which has a lot of humor and a very low-key romance. Reading Barbara Metzger's Cupboard Kisses several months after that confirmed that romance is a genre I can enjoy, and I started reading a lot more romances, gradually increasing to make up 2/3 of my current reading.

fla · Joined: 06 Jul 2010 Posts: 15 Location: Italy

The first romance novel the I read, when I was 14 years old, was Velvet Bond by Catherine Archer. I liked it so much I immediately searched for other novels in the same genre.

xina · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 6630 Location: minneapolis

karat · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 202

My first romance books, other than the classics (Austen, Bronte sisters, etc) where Harlequins. I got hooked after reading Columbine by Miranda Jarrett, and Highlander by Ruth Langan. Unfortunately, I have never found another book by either author that I actually liked, but I enjoyed many other Harlequins, and found other very good authors. Finally one day I "discovered" the single titles, reading For the Roses by Julie Garwood, and found a whole new group of books to enjoy. Smile

Hopeless_Romantic · Joined: 21 Jan 2010 Posts: 114 Location: U.S.

My mom used to read romances and in my pre-teens I'd sneak a look at the covers of awe-inspiring male flesh Embarassed

but didn't read anything romantic until junior high when our study hall was in the senior library.

I read parts of a few teen romances, then a fellow student (who had an impressive collection) shared tid-bits with me and I loved it - I might be better in math today if I'd been paying attention, but oh well. Laughing

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Close-Up Merman's Kiss http://th06.deviantart.net/fs10/300W/i/2006/102/5/b/A_Merman__s_Kiss_Detail_by_Barbiedoll.jpg http://images.epilogue.net/users/emerald/mermans_kiss_emerald2006.jpg

PeggyL · Joined: 28 Mar 2007 Posts: 43 Location: Hong Kong

Not counting Romance in Chinese (which I read ferociously--I think that's an apt description--in my formative years), the "hook" for me is rather a "Romantic Suspense" by Iris Johansen. But I can't remember whether it was Long After Midnight or The Ugly Duckling. Anyway, then like a crazy person, I tried to obtain her complete backlist, which included some really old school historicals. And I never looked back, meaning I haven't read Johansen for a number of years. This was the mid-90's.

ladynaava · Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 938 Location: California

My first romance that I remember reading was Dawnfire. It had a beautiful cover and was a viking romance. I remember adoring it, and thinking the cover was awesome. I'm not sure how I'd feel about it these days, but I loved it.

I also rememember with fondness Clan of the Cave Bear and Valley of the horses. I was ill with the measles and couldn't watch tv or read, and had to sit in a dark room to avoid hurting my eyes. my mother read them to me.

BarbaraSD · Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 62

Kathleen Woodiwiss's The Flame and the Flower

Kristie(J) · Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 5:55 pm Post subject:

I read romanTIC books in my pre-romance days as romance books in their current form weren't being written then. Yes, as much as I hate to admit it, I'm one of the "seniors". I can't remember the exact book, but I think it might have been Frenchman's Creek by Daphne duMaurier (where the h/h DON'T end up together-terribly romantic but terribly sad or Katherine by Anya Seton where they do end up together but only after many horrible things happened to both and the hero was married to another woman whom he did love for much of the book. Again, I'm not sure I would classify it as a romance, though very romantic.