Our winner from last week’s contest is Joe! Congratulations, Joe. Tina will be in touch regarding your prize.

I’ve been looking forward to writing this post. Fair warning, gentle reader: it will probably be long winded.

How could it not be?! We’re talking about the books we love, for crying out loud. Like many of you, I’m happiest with a book (er, e-book) in my hands. And I still geek out over books all the time. (Just ask Jenna Blue, who patiently listened to me gush about “Cut & Run”, a m/m romance series I recently fell in love with.) So I had a really, really hard time whittling down my list to one—or even two.

First off, I have to give props to my girl Nancy Drew for kicking it all off for me. These weren’t the first books I read, but they were the most important of my early childhood. I worshipped Nancy. Smart, beautiful, brave…was there anything she couldn’t do? To boot, she had a super cute boyfriend, Ned. I lived for those interactions between Nancy and Ned. And there were never enough! I hadn’t even hit puberty yet, but I was dying to find out what Nancy and Ned did “off the page.”

Hmmmm… Maybe that was a sign.

Now onto the good stuff. My love of romance didn’t start with Austen or Heyer. Instead, it started with Lindsey, Krentz, Garwood, Coulter, and Deveraux. Amanda Quick was a HUGE influence on me, too. Her stories are simple and quirky, packed with witty dialogue and unusual settings. Typically, I have a hard time connecting with heroines in romance novels—except for the Quick heroines. They’re smart and interesting, and aren’t pushovers by any means. In fact, I can’t remember any Quick heroes, but several heroines come instantly to mind. Above all, I thought her books were fun—and that’s what I strive for in my stories, too.

I have two life-changing, desert island books, one historical and one contemporary. Both center on my favorite story thread: revenge.

The Historical: “Lions and Lace” by Meagan McKinney

Published in 1992, here is the blurb: “After his family is snubbed by the elite Knickerbocker families of New York, self-made millionaire Trevor Sheridan – known as the Predator of Wall Street – vows to take revenge on them all. But he saves his most bitter venom for the family of Alana Van Alen, a flaxen-haired beauty who had once been friends with his sister. When this notorious Irishman causes her family to fall into poverty, Alana is forced to accept his offer of marriage, but Trevor is only using her to gain acceptance into society. In spite of her hatred for him, Alana is irresistibly drawn to Trevor’s handsome, brooding face and muscular body. Soon she falls in love with him, but will he return her passion or try to destroy her?”

McKinney’s writing is detailed and rich. There is so much research here into late nineteenth century New York, both of the Knickerbocker world as well as the views of immigrants, particularly Irish, that the reader is immersed into world of Trevor and Alana. The story is loaded with conflict right from the start, when the heroine’s uncle ties her to the bannister of the Sheridan mansion and abandons her to the mercy of our hero. Here’s one of my favorite passages:

Left alone with her husband, Alana heard the ensuing silence like the boom of a cannon. Trevor turned to her, and the room seemed to echo with his rage. She was aghast at the emotion in his eyes. Part of her quailed at the fury she found there, but another part of her, the part that had paced in her room all night and longed for a husband who loved her, rejoiced. He was jealous, wildly jealous. If their relationship held any promise, it was in that streak of possessiveness that had flared when he caught her in Eagan’s embrace.

There was a long foreboding pause while he stared at her. He seemed to be contemplating his next move and going through all the possibilities before making his decision. But he was Trevor Byrne Sheridan, and once his decision was made, he acted. “Go to my room, Alana,” he said quietly.

Her eyes locked with his. She knew what he was thinking. His jealousy gave her new hope, but the time for what he intended now was wrong. He was only accepting Eagan’s challenge. He didn’t want to make love to her because he cared for her but because of the man he was. She could see it in his eyes. He’d never let a dare go unanswered.

“No,” she said just as quietly, just as firmly.

He nodded. Not a good sign. “You’re my wife, Alana, my legal wife, wed in the Catholic Church. I’ve rights. Go into my room, or I’ll get a policeman off the avenue to drag you in there.”

“If you do this, there’ll be no annulment.”

“Then there’ll be no annulment.”

These two fight. A lot. They’re both strong willed, and neither one of them is what the other believes, each hiding behind a façade for a different reason. I can’t say enough how much I love the story. Even flipping through to find my favorite passages proved impossible because so many scenes gave me the shivers. If you love historicals, I beg you to try this one. You can borrow my copy, but you damn well better give it back.

The Contemporary: “Paradise” by Judith McNaught

Published in 1992 (an excellent year for books, it seems), the blurb: “Ruthless corporate raider Matthew Farrell was poised to move in on the legendary department store empire owned by Chicago’s renowned Bancroft family. In the glare of the media spotlight, it was a stunning takeover that overshadowed the electric chemistry between Matt, once a scruffy kid from steel town Indiana, and cool, sophisticated Meredith Bancroft. Their brief, ill-fated marriage sparked with thrilling sensuality — he was the outsider who dared to rock her country club world — and ended with a bitter betrayal. Now, locked in a battle that should be all business, dangerous temptations and bittersweet memories are stirring their hearts. Will they risk everything on a passion too bold to be denied?”

There is so much here that shouldn’t work for me. It’s long. There’s headhopping. It starts with huge (almost unbelievable) misunderstandings. And yes, it has the “wait, you mean we aren’t really divorced?!” trope at play. But with her talented writing, McNaught made me believe it and fall in love with these two characters. You root for them, even as they’re biting each other’s heads off.

Angry at his deliberate and rude reminder that his wealth was now far greater than hers, Meredith looked at him with well-bred disdain. “Money was all you ever thought about, all that mattered to you. I never wanted to marry you, and I don’t want your money! I’d rather starve than have anyone know we were ever married!”

The maître d’ chose that untimely moment to appear at their table to inquire if their meal had been satisfactory or if they wanted anything else.

“Yes,” Matt said bluntly. “I’ll have a double shot of scotch on the rocks, and my wife,” he emphasized, taking petty, malicious satisfaction out of doing exactly what she’d just said she never wanted to do, “will have another martini.”

Meredith, who never, ever engaged in a public scene, glowered at her old friend and said, “I’ll give you a thousand dollars to poison his drink!”

A former steelworker who works his way up to tycoon, Matt is one of my all-time favorite heroes. He’s ruthless, angry, and has a giant chip on his shoulder, but he rides to Meredith’s rescue when the going gets tough. I swear, the press conference scene gets me every time. LOVE him. After Christian Grey, we might all be a bit tired of the self-made gazillionaire, but trust me, Matt Farrell was there first.

Thanks for letting all of us share our most memorable romance books. It’s been interesting to see what everyone chose. And keep the comments coming! We want to hear YOUR life-changing romance books. Or tell me if you’ve read either of these stories (so we can geek out together). Anyone who leaves a comment in July will be registered to win a trio of books.

Joanna