Sunday, January 29, 2006

Upcoming Contemporary Romance

I don't read nearly as much contemporary romance as I do historical or paranormal romances. I think that is mostly because I don't always enjoy the modern settings. I usually like to feel like I am reading a story about someone very different from me, either in place or time or in fundamental differences in life. It's not as easy to have that feeling of difference in a contemporary.

I tend to avoid romances with military settings or military men (despite being married to a wonderful one) because after four years in the US Army, I'm just too close to the subject matter. It doesn't seem romantic to me; it's either horrifying or boring. And too many romance authors get major things wrong that they could find out with simple facts from an average servicemember or veteran (one not too long a veteran, if it's a modern romance) quite easily. So military romances (and Navy SEALS or special forces, ugh, mostly jerks who cheat on their wives and get divorced in real life) count for a lot of contemporaries, and they're out.

So, of what's left, I usually read a few each year, either hot romances or from new authors or the few contemporary authors I've come to enjoy (Rachel Gibson, Julie Kenner, Deidre Martin).

Untamed by Kathleen Lawless
Pocket, 20 September 2005
I really like this cover, so I'll probably try to check out the book, even though her first book, Taboo, got a D- at AAR.


Take Me by Bella Andre
Pocket, 15 November 2005
Here's another great cover, also from Pocket. I brought this one home from the library on Thursday.


Cheating at Solitaire by Ally Carter
Berkley, 6 December 2005
I reall like this cover. I like the title as stitching on her jeans, I like the Ace of Hearts hinting at romance.


The Manolo Matrix by Julie Kenner
Downtown Press, 1 February 2006
Haven't had a chance to read Givenchy Code yet, so I'll have to find time to fit that one in before I hit this one.


Sex, Lies, and Online Dating by Rachel Gibson
Avon, 1 February 2006
Rachel Gibson is one of the few consistently good contemporary authors I've found.


Playing Easy to Get by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jaid Black, and Kresley Cole
Pocket, 7 February 2006
Will probably pick this one up at the library. Black and Kenyon aren't the best writers, but they are entertaining. Haven't tried Cole yet.


The Penalty Box by Deirdre Martin
Berkley Sensation, 7 March 2006
I like Martin's hockey romances. I am a big fan of the Dallas Stars, and when the NHL was on strike, I was really mad. Reading books with even a little hockey actually helped.


Big Trouble by Marianna Jameson
Signet, 2 May 2006
This is a new author to me, but I like the sound of this one. From the author's website: " It features Joe Casey, the smart-mouthed stud-muffin brother of My Hero's hero, Chas Casey, and former computer hacker turned digital security expert, Naomi Connor, who has been waiting twenty years to be forgiven for an adolescent mistake. Joe is the one man who can absolve her—if only she could make him believe that people really can change."

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2 comments:

meljean brook said...

I don't end up reading many contemporaries, and even then I lean toward suspense. Unless, strangely, it's series romance -- but even then I go for the most over-the-top lines, like Presents.

I enjoyed The Givenchy Code, so I'll probably pick up the sequel.

Are the women in Untamed and Take Me wearing the same shoes? Interesting if it was the same artist/photo shoot for both covers.

sybil said...

Untamed and Take Me are both floating around the trade group.

The Manolo Matrix is/was at borders in their pay two get three... that was recent.

Sex, Lies.... is out at Walmart.

Playing Easy to Get, I am so going back and forth with this one. I really enjoyed Cole's first two but haven't read her last book (first in a new series) and all of those were historicals.