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JudyZ6666
Joined: 07 Jul 2011
Posts: 192
Location: Connecticut, USA
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 Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 7:44 pm Post subject: Re: The book that started it all |
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| Ash wrote: | We all got started on romance novels somehow, My question is what book was it that made you actively pursue the romance genre, it doesn't necessarily have to be the first romance novel you read, just the one that made a fan out of you 
for me it was Judith McNaughts "Kingdom of Dreams" |
I would say it was more a "line" than a certain book. As well as a predilection for romance (in the form of The Princess Bride, Romancing the Stone, and whatever other movie romances you can think of from that period).
When I lived in the Florida Keys, 1989-1991, there was, during the first year or so, not a large book store. I was looking for escapism, and found it in the Silhouette Regencies, which I bought at the drug store and supermarket. Notably, Mary Balogh was an oft-times writer at that point.
I couldn't tell you what otherwise inspired me other than a few used bookstores in Key West (which I found later, after I moved down the keys to town), with a large romance section--I worked my way through quite a few 80's authors (Johanna Lindsay, Jude Deveraux, and Judith McNaught among them.) Once a large Waldenbooks opened there in 1990, I found newer books, and, of course, newer books from authors I enjoyed.
My earliest "buy them new" authors, after removing from Key West, were Mary Balogh, Johanna Lindsey, and Amanda Quick. And, from there it went.
Last edited by JudyZ6666 on Wed Nov 02, 2011 9:22 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Elaine S
Joined: 02 Apr 2007
Posts: 660
Location: Rural England
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| Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 7:33 am Post subject: |
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| It was probably reading Mrs Mike in grade school that started it, followed by Victoria Holt, Jane Aitken Hodge and Barbara Michaels. Then along came Heyer which pretty well settled me for life! |
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stl_reader
Joined: 03 Aug 2011
Posts: 155
Location: Missouri
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| Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 11:47 am Post subject: |
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Elaine S - I think I still have a battered copy of Mrs. Mike somewhere....
High school: Jane Eyre awakened the sleeping romantic within, and it remains my go-to romance novel.
College: Georgette Heyer solidified the love. (Dare I admit that after I had exhausted all the GH books, I briefly derailed with Barbara Cartland?)
In my 20s: Yes, yes, yes, Victoria Holt, Barbara Michaels. I would add Phyllis Whitney's name as well.
Later: Kathleen Woodiwiss really wowed me with Wolf and the Dove. I'm not sure I loved any of her later novels as I loved that one, but it renewed my somewhat flagging interest in romance novels. |
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Eggletina
Joined: 06 Jul 2010
Posts: 340
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| Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Juliette wrote: | I think it all got rolling for me with Victoria Holt starting with On The Night Of The Seventh Moon. I just inhaled her books, with some Mary Stewart and Phyllis Whitney thrown in between the Holt's.
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Same here. Shortly thereafter (around age 13 or 14), I discovered my sister's bodice rippers and started with Rosemary Rogers. I stopped reading romance in the mid-80s, though, and didn't really pay attention to it again until the last year or two.
Funnily enough, I don't remember even hearing a mention of Georgette Heyer or seeing any of her books in my library (small town, you must understand), so I didn't get the pleasure of reading her until several years ago when her reprints started showing up at my local book store. |
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bookmark
Joined: 06 Nov 2007
Posts: 296
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| Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 5:03 pm Post subject: |
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| I absolutely do not remember, but I know I started with contemporary romances, but now I'm mainly a historical romance kind of woman. |
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utoeid
Joined: 05 Jun 2007
Posts: 109
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| Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Ohhhhhh! The Fires of Winter by Johanna Lindsey. I was 13 and I still have it too. It's yellow from age and the glue is decaying but I still have it and will whip it out from time to time to read of Brenna and Gareth. She was the first kick-assed heroine I ever read and from that book I spent every summer reading instead of going outside to play. I also introduced many of my teen friends to the genre by passing TFOW to them. Plus the cover art was HAWT!!! |
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JudyZ6666
Joined: 07 Jul 2011
Posts: 192
Location: Connecticut, USA
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| Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 9:21 am Post subject: |
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| stl_reader wrote: |
High school: Jane Eyre awakened the sleeping romantic within, and it remains my go-to romance novel. |
Well, that did it, too. I wrote my AP English essay on "Jane Eyre." I credit "her" with the 6 English credits I earned. 
Judy |
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maryskl
Joined: 25 Apr 2009
Posts: 328
Location: Alabama
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| Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2011 12:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Elaine S wrote: | | It was probably reading Mrs Mike in grade school that started it, followed by Victoria Holt, Jane Aitken Hodge and Barbara Michaels. Then along came Heyer which pretty well settled me for life! |
I remember Mrs. Mike!!! I also read it in grade school and loved it. I am not sure I can even remember what my first romance was. I do remember that my first "bodice ripper" romance was probably Sweet Savage Love. I read those for a few years and then completely went away from romance for about 30 years <g>. I started back with Outlander. |
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tearose
Joined: 24 Oct 2010
Posts: 37
Location: Tulsa, OK
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| Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 8:04 am Post subject: |
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| It was 'Everlasting' by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I didn't have access to the library because of ummm...a certain charge or two that was neglected, so I typed in a random library number & downloaded an audio book. I tried the romance genre, because I've never read one aside from literary romance, & have at different stages in my life put aside a prejudice & indulged in popular genre fiction e.g. 'The Body in the Library' ~ Agatha Christie at 17, 'The Martian Chronciles' ~ Ray Bradbury at 20, etc., & found the experience worthwhile. |
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Nikky
Joined: 18 Nov 2011
Posts: 4
Location: Somewhere Fabulous
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| Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 11:22 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm very new to the romance genre and I love it! I read my first romance novel at my little Cousins insistence while we were at the library together. She comes up to me with this pretty book that has a white winding rose on the cover and says "you have to read this". So I check it out because she has read so many books I've recommended so I felt abliged to read one of hers. I get about half way through and realize it's a romance novel but by this time I'm hooked. At the realization I call my Cousin to ask her thoughts on a certain part of the book and she says "oh I haven't read it I just like the cover"!! So anyway the book was Until Forever by Johanna Lindsey and while it's not my favorite it did kinda get the ball rolling. So far my favorite authors are Johanna Lindsey, Mary Balogh, Lisa Kleypas and Stephanie Laurens. I also have some books by Georgette Heyer, Mary Jo Putney, Victoria Alexander and Elizabeth Mansfield that I haven't read yet. |
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robiform
Joined: 04 Apr 2007
Posts: 242
Location: Florida
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| Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 12:50 pm Post subject: |
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I also got into romance novels via Outlander. After I finished the first three novels in the series, (and while waiting for #4, Drums of Autumn) I would browse the romance areas of the local Barnes & Noble and Borders (RIP!), and eventually started reading series by Mary Jo Putney, Elizabeth Lowell, Linda Howard, and others too numerous to name.
Oddly enough, these days, the Outlander series books are found in general fiction, not romance, which is probably where DG's new book The Scottish Prisoner will be found when it comes out this Tuesday. Apparently, this one is best described as "Outlander meets Lord John" which suits me just fine, as I find the relationship between Jamie and Lord John Grey to be much more interesting than the Roger/Briana story which has lessened my enthusiasm for the Outlander series!
BTW, for all of you DG fans, there's an interview with her in the current issue of Entertainment Weekly as well as at the website, www.ew.com.
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"Have fun storming the castle"--Miracle Max in "The Princess Bride" |
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anastacyann
Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Posts: 90
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| Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 12:06 pm Post subject: |
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My first was Jo Goodman's Wild, Sweet Ecstasy. I'm still surprised that the book store sold it to me. I was 13 and it definitely had one of the old 90s covers. I remember hiding it from my parents and reading it on the sly. After that I never looked back. I read the remainder of the books she had out at the time (Rogue's Mistress, Forever in My Heart) and then moved on to Elizabeth Lowell, Catherine Coulter and Amanda Quick. I now read more than just historicals, but they gave me the love of the romance novel.
I still have the copy of WSE I bought 20 years ago and I reread it every year. |
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TJBgni
Joined: 03 Nov 2011
Posts: 7
Location: San Diego
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| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 5:51 pm Post subject: |
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Tough Customer by Sandra Brown......after reading that I read all 51 of her books in 1 year!! Since then I have read any romance Icoud get my hands on....lol!! 
_________________
I was nauseous and tingly all over. I was either in love or I had smallpox.
~ Woody Allen |
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lor
Joined: 30 Mar 2007
Posts: 40
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| Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 3:29 am Post subject: |
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Very first romance was Wild Crocus by Kathryn Blair, Harlequin Romance #749, published in 1963. No, I didn't remember all that, I looked it up on fiction db.
The book belonged to one of my older cousins; I picked it up and started reading it and couldn't put it down. My aunt was horrifed, asked me if I couldn't find something better than that to read. I was 12 years old. I've been reading romances ever since.
Prior to WC I had read some books with romantic elements (P and P, The Blue Castle) but that was the first one defined as a romance.
lor |
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lqstark
Joined: 11 Dec 2010
Posts: 46
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| Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 12:21 am Post subject: |
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| The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss - 1972 |
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