No Canon for Romance Novels

Brought to you by two readers of romance who appreciate good writing.

[romancecanon]

Sarah chats with author Alyssa Cole about her much-anticipated new book, An Extraordinary Union, an espionage romance set in the Civil War. They discuss the behind the scenes details of the cover development – and the cover is stunning, so it clearly all worked perfectly. They also talk about persevering through painful history, finding inspiration and comfort in how humans have overcome and pushed forward despite terrible obstacles, researching and writing about historical figures that … Continue reading 240. Extraordinary Optimism Through History: An Interview with Alyssa Cole →

A little late posting about this one, but it’s never a bad time for an Alyssa Cole interview!

[romancecanon]

Guest Post: The Diversity Thorn - Ethnic Identity, History, and Historical Romance - Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Sarah: I had a long conversation via email with Asha Ganesan that culminated in her writing this guest post that addresses her desire for more inclusive representation in historical romance and supports her argument with data and external sources. I just heard you perk up in your chairs, didn’t it? Oh, yes, data! Welcome, Asha, and thank you for being part of our community. … This thoughtful guest post comes from Asha Ganesan. Asha is a social psychology Ph.D … Continue reading Guest Post: The Diversity Thorn – Ethnic Identity, History, and Historical Romance →

[romancecanon]

Romance Without Feminism is No Longer an Option

On the feminist nature of modern romance novels, with reading recommendations!

I love this list!

[romancecanon]

A Small List of Diverse Romance Books

Hello voyagers, travelers of the book world! Today I bring you another rec list because who are we kidding they are so much fun and I love ...

[romancecanon]

11 Romance Authors of Color You Should Be Reading - Women Write About Comics

Jessica lists 11 romance authors of color you should be reading.

Lots of authors I love on this list!

[rebekahweatherspoon]

AT HER FEET made this awesome list!!! Also The Collectors and The Night Off are BOMB! 

[romancecanon]

5 Fake Relationship Romances

There are few romance tropes as fun as the fake relationship romance. This Rioter shares five of her favorites to get you started.

Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes! I’ve only read one of these so far (Act Like It,  which I loved), and I’m looking forward to checking out the others.

[romancecanon]

This week, we have a longer-than-usual, in person conversation with author Alisha Rai! Yup, a live recording, and of course we start by talking about my “professionalism” as a podcaster. Over brownies and tea, we discuss sexxytimes romance, her new series with Avon, and how reading and writing romance informs and influences her dating life – because sometimes you meet people who you *know* you’ve read before. She talks about the pressure on women to … Continue reading 229. Romance, Dating, and Very Real Expectations: An Interview with Alisha Rai →

Such a great interview!

[romancecanon]

Most Anticipated Books of 2017

Here are the books we can't wait to pick up in 2017:

Some romance novels on this list that I am really looking forward to!

[romancecanon]

17 Of The Best Romance Novels Of 2016

The Romance world had a lot of offer in 2016. Truly, there are few subjects left untackled in this list of the best romance novels of 2016 — Scandalous CEOs, twisted love stories, badass heroines, and forbidden loves that remind us of the prejudices

[respectingromance]

The 10 Sexiest Nonsexual Things That Happen in Historical Romance Novels

Who knew simple hand touching could be so erotic?

[diehard-fangirl]

1. Hand touching that’s unimpeded by gloves. In ye olden times, basically every inch of skin had to be covered so people didn’t start doing it in the middle of the street. In a normal setting, skin-to-skin contact in a non-erogenous zone is fairly common, but when it happens in a romance novel, it’s always a precursor to sex. If only real-life glove removal was this sensual.

He removed his glove and extended his right hand toward her. On her skirt, she wiped her palm — which had suddenly dampened — before pressing it against his. His long fingers closed over hers, and he drew her near, so near that she could see the narrow black outline that circled the silver of his eyes. “You are now in league with the devil, my lady. May you rest easier at night than I.” —In Bed With the Devil by Lorraine Heath

2. Exchanging notes. Anyone who’s read Fifty Shades understands the power of carefully worded flirtatious emails, but it took a lot more effort to send a missive in the 19th century. You have to write the thing by hand, give it to a servant so they can deliver it to your intended, and then wait for a reply that also has to be written by hand. So if someone is sending you multiple notes a week, let alone in one day, you better believe their interest is more than platonic.

Dear Lady Xenobia, I speak for all the males in the house when I say that Leda’s bosom was the best thing about her. – Thorn “There is no response,” India told the groom who had spent the day riding back and forth to London. By all rights, she should throw such a disgraceful missive in the fire. Instead she folded it and slipped it in her pocket. —Three Weeks With Lady X by Eloisa James

3. Watching a man do a job. As Jane Austen knew so well, the most eligible bachelors are the ones so rich that they don’t even have to work. But should you find one who does have to work, watching him do his job is one of the most surefire ways to stoke your interest in his penis. Look at those management skills! Is it hot in here?

They both glanced back at the main hazard table, where Sebastian had just made a quip to ease the tension of the game. A low rumble of laughter went through the crowd. Evie silently marveled at how natural he seemed in his role, as if he had been born to it. —Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

4. Platonic bed sharing. People who don’t read romance novels often think they’re all sex, but this is not true. Characters also occasionally share beds when they’re not having sex, and let me tell you, this is almost as hot as the times when they are. Sometimes you just need a good clothed spooning session, OK?

Sterling awoke to find himself resting on his good side, his arm curled around Frannie, his hand nestled innocently against her breast. Not a position he had ever been in before with any other woman. He always touched a woman with purpose, with desire. He had to admit that he wanted to touch her that way again, but it had to be at her pace, when she was ready. —Surrender to the Devil by Lorraine Heath

5. Disappearing to isolated locations without a chaperone. Walking out onto the terrace, taking a stroll through the garden, wandering the grounds of an estate after sunset — all seemingly innocent activities, ripe with possibility for clandestine makeout sessions. Bonus points if there’s any under-the-bodice touching.

Meeting him somewhere alone had the uncomfortable overtones of a lovers’ tryst — which this would certainly not be. And yet she couldn’t seem to control the nervous thrills that ran up and down her spine. “Where shall we meet?” “The morning room opens onto an orangery.” “Yes, I know where that is.” “Shall we meet in five minutes?” “All right.” Lillian gave him a supremely unconcerned smile, as if she were quite accustomed to making clandestine arrangements. “I’ll go first.” As she took her leave of him, she could feel his gaze on her back, and she knew somehow that he watched her every second until she was out of sight. —It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas

6. Addressing each other by their first names. We as future dwellers recognize this as a simple fact of everyday life, but in historical romance, calling someone of the opposite sex by their first name was so improper you may as well have just stripped down and yelled, “Take me.”

“Now, Catherine, I know that to be untrue. Otherwise, how would you have known to come to my door?” He purred her name with an intimacy that caused honeyed heat to pool in her belly. How quickly he gained the upper hand. —In Bed With the Devil by Lorraine Heath

7. Rolled-up shirtsleeves. Applicable in all settings, historical or otherwise.

She barely noticed his shirtsleeves, rolled up to the elbow, and the lovely tan of his forearms, all strength and sinew, and the way his dark locks fell across his forehead. The way his green eyes saw everything beyond the window of the pub. —The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean

8. Defending the heroine. Romance heroines are often strong enough not to need a man to defend them, but that doesn’t mean it’s not welcomed when it happens. Nothing’s hotter than a man standing up for your honor without being told it’s a good thing to do.

“My interest in your daughter stems only from the fact that she insulted the lady on my arm, which is no different from insulting me. I do not take kindly to insults.” His eyes widened. “Of course not. I don’t know what Charlotte was thinking.” “Please inform her that should our paths cross again, she is not to approach me.” He bobbed his head. “I’ll have a word with her. Yes, thank you.” “Good day, Millbank.” He’d taken three steps toward the door before Millbank asked, “Might I inquire as to who the lady was?” Sterling didn’t stop or look back as he said, “All that matters is that she is my lady.” —Surrender to the Devil by Lorraine Heath

9. Dressing up as a man so you can do stuff that good society ladies can’t. The fastest way for a doofus man to notice that a female romance character is hot is to see her out of her giant dress and in tight-fitting pants. True now, true then, true always.

She was the plainest of the Talbot sisters, yes. And that made her the least marriageable. She had fortune, and nothing else. And the surprise of it was … she didn’t seem at all plain right now, dressed in ill-fitting livery and ridiculous footwear, standing on the Great North Road, moonlight in her hair. —The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean

10. Watching your crush interact with a child. This one ought to be familiar to everyone who’s stared longingly at a photo Chris Hemsworth holding his burrito-size baby in his giant Thor arms. No matter your feelings on children, the sight of a man treating a child with love and respect is kind of a turn-on.

Opening the door, she slipped into the hallway. It was as quiet as she expected. The door to the night nursery was open and as she neared, she heard a rumbling voice. She stopped at the doorway and peered inside. Surely she was still fevered and delirious, because sitting in a chair, his elbows on his thighs, a book in his hands, reading to her son was Jack Dodger. She’d never seen Henry so entranced. —Between the Devil and Desire by Lorraine Heath

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PRAISE THIS PIECE AND EVERYTHING IN IT!

[heroesnhearts]

Need some comfort reads to get you through 2016? Try out these 5 books recommended by author Rebekah Weatherspoon!

[spoonmeb]

im rec’ing books, ya’ll. 

[romancecanon]

Best romance novels of 2016

The grand tales of love from Beverly Jenkins, Erika Kelly, Joanna Shupe and others

[beautifulbrownies]

Romance novels centred around black characters

It’s really hard to find romantic books featuring black women. Most popular books centred around black women are based on some sort of suffering and or abuse. Whilst it is important for their stories to be told, it is quite disheartening there is so little representation in other genres.

Until There Was You - All he was looking for was some peace and quiet. Instead, what ex-FBI agent Luke Grayson finds in the secluded cabin in the woods is a gorgeous, smoky-eyed woman…who just happens to be pointing a gun in his direction.

A Little Dare – Shelly and Dare were torn apart when Dare decided to pursue a career in the FBI.  Shelly kept her pregnancy a secret so as not to tie him down. She returns 11 years later to her home town to rekindle her relationship with the father of her son.

Taken by Storm - A handsome U.S. marshall Raphael Madison tells floral designer Simone Whitfield that he’s her live-in bodyguard for the duration of a high-profile court case. Simone discovers that sharing her home with a bodyguard stirs up a storm of longing. Soon, their closeness becomes electrifying

Tonight and Forever- Lorren Jacobs marriage ends in divorce and all she wants is to leave California behind. She returns to Texas where she meets Justin Madaris. Lorren has vowed never to give her heart to another man, but she can’t stop herself from responding to the handsome widower’s sensuous whispers of love.

The Right Kind of Trouble - Twenty year old Lauren Bailey is organized, responsible, and hyper-driven toward her goal of graduating college. She already has enough on her hands and definitely has no time for trouble. she’s not interested in that level of distraction. Until Ty. Ty opens Lauren’s mind to a world beyond the strict walls she’s built.

Forbidden - Eddy owes her life to Rhine, but she won’t risk her heart for him. As soon as she’s saved enough money from her cooking, she’ll leave this Nevada town and move to California. No matter how handsome he is, no matter how fiery the heat between them, Rhine will never be hers. Giving in for just one night might quench this longing…

[ashleyeleigh]

I hope it’s okay to add to this list, because I have some more. I have read all these and can vouch for their awesomeness.

Treasure by Rebekah Weatherspoon  Her sister’s bachelorette party is the highlight of a miserable year for Alexis Chambers, but once her bridesmaid’s dress is packed away, she’s back to coping with her life as a once popular athlete and violinist turned loner and the focus of her parents’ disappointment. She isn’t expecting much from her freshman year of college until she finds herself sharing a class with Treasure, the gorgeous stripper from her sister’s party. 

Trisha Hamilton has finally gotten the credits and the money together to transfer to a four-year university. Between classes, studying, and her job as a stripper, she has little time for a social life, until she runs into the adorably shy baby butch from the club. Trisha can’t seem to hide her feelings for Alexis, even when Trisha discovers what she has been through, but will Alexis have the strength to be just as fearless about their new love?

Sated by Rebekah Weatherspoon **2015 RT BOOK REVIEWS REVIEWERS’ CHOICE NOMINEE - Digital Erotic Romance** All Keira Kenney wants is her happy ending. Too bad she can never make it through a first date. Is a nice man who’s into fitness and comics, with an extensive knowledge of everything science-fiction too much to ask for? Apparently, since Keira can’t seem to find a partner who can simply tolerate her interests. Perhaps it’s time for her to give up. She has her job at Melrose Fitness, a new season of her favorite space drama added to streaming, and hundreds of thousands of words worth of fan fiction all to keep her mind busy. Her heart will have to wait. Pyrotechnics expert Daniel Song isn’t looking for anything. He spends his days doing what he loves, and his nights and weekends participating in the kinky activities his body craves. Single life as sexual switch suits him perfectly, giving him the freedom to indulge the types of erotic adventures some people only dream of. When a good friend asks Daniel if his co-worker, Keira can join him at a local sci-fi convention, neither of them expect any sort of fireworks to spark. After all, Keira’s turned off by kink and Daniel can’t live without with it. So naturally they both agree that an official first date would be a great idea. With this new relationship fresh between them, Daniel shares what he can of himself without scaring Keira off, hiding his shock and growing infatuation as she rises to every sexual occasion with her silly, geek-girl personality. It’s only a matter of time before they both have to face the truth; what he wants is the furtherest thing from what she needs. But in the meantime, pushing each other’s sexual limits seems like a good plan. It’s like not either of them is looking for love. **This story contains two massive nerds who can’t keep their hands off each other. And fisting.** 

(Third in a series)

So Sweet by Rebekah Weatherspoon Desperate times call for desperate measures…



And desperate is the only way to describe Kayla Davis’s current situation. Out of work and almost out of money to cover her bills, Kayla finally caves to her roommate’s nagging and follows her to Arrangements, an online dating site that matches pretty young women with older men of a certain tax bracket.
 Convinced this “make-rent-quick” scheme will surely fail—or saddle her with an 80 year old boyfriend—Kayla is shocked when Michael Bradbury, Internet billionaire and stone-cold salt and pepper fox, offers her a solution to all her financial troubles.
It’s hard enough for Kayla to accept his generosity, but what’s a girl to do when the wealthiest man she’s ever met is a dream in and outside of the bedroom?


(First in a series)

Radio Silence by Alyssa Cole “Cole’s first Off the Grid novel offers a startling, believable post-apocalyptic world that is rich in atmospheric details and rife with unexpected dangers. Her refreshingly diverse cast of characters possess strong, sympathetic and magnetic personalities, ensuring that readers will be engaged with each step of their journey.” – RT Book Reviews

No one expects the apocalypse.

Arden Highmore was living your average postgrad life in Rochester, New York, when someone flipped the “off” switch on the world. No cell phones, no power, no running water—and no one knows why. All she and her roommate, John, know for sure is that they have to get out, stat. His family’s cabin near the Canadian border seemed like the safest choice.

It turns out isolation doesn’t necessarily equal safety.

When scavengers attack, it’s John’s ridiculously handsome brother, Gabriel, who comes to the rescue. He saves Arden’s life, so he can’t be all bad…but he’s also a controlling jerk who treats her like an idiot. Now their parents are missing and it seems John, Gabriel, their kid sister, Maggie, and Arden are the only people left alive who aren’t bloodthirsty maniacs.

No one knows when—or if—the lights will come back on and, in the midst of all that, Arden and Gabriel are finding that there’s a fine line indeed between love and hate. How long can they expect to last in this terrifying new world, be it together or apart?

(First in a series)

Be Not Afraid by Alyssa Cole Brooklyn, 1776 

Elijah Sutton is no fool, despite his love of a country that enslaves people like him. When he’s offered land, livestock, and—most importantly—his freedom if he fights in his Patriot owner’s stead, Elijah believes he’ll soon have everything he ever wanted…and then he meets Kate. The Crown has promised freedom to slaves who escape their Patriot masters and join the British side, and Kate intends to take them up on it. She’s eager to leave America—and the painful memories it holds for her—far behind…and then she meets Elijah. Their attraction is undeniable, but their goals couldn’t be further apart. When Elijah is captured by the British while helping Kate, they’re thrown into close proximity and forced to choose between their hopes for the future and their hearts. Be Not Afraid originally appeared in the anthology For Love and Liberty: Untold Love Stories of the American Revolution.

Sharing Space by Nina Perez It’s official: Chloe Brooks is having the worst week ever. Her roommate has just moved out with no notice, leaving Chloe little time to find a replacement. The pressure is on at work as she vies for a big promotion. And she just caught her boyfriend in bed with another woman. She doesn’t need any more complications, but that’s exactly what Chloe gets when Patrick Murphy shows up on her doorstep. Life is good for Patrick Murphy. He has an agent who can help kickstart his acting career. His relationship with his best friends has never been tighter. And he’s saved up enough money to finally move into the city. Now if he can just find a place to live… There are many reasons why they shouldn’t be together: They’re both focusing on their careers, Chloe is coming out of a nasty breakup, and is it ever a good idea to date your roommate? Sharing Space was originally published as six separate contemporary romance novellas about an interracial couple who ignore all the reasons why they shouldn’t be together to focus on the one reason they should: love.

Destiny’s Surrender by THE BEVERLY JENKINS The child he didn’t know he had …

Andrew Yates has come to a decision: it’s time to stop sowing those oats and start a family. But searching for a bride isn’t as simple as he’d hoped, and many of the respectable women of his acquaintance feel … lacking. Then beautiful, feisty Wilhelmina “Billie” Wells arrives at the family ranch with a toddler in her arms, claiming Drew is the father!

The woman he didn’t know he loved …

Billie had no choice but to show up at Destiny in search of Drew. For the sake of their child, she’s willing to leave him with his father so the boy can have a better life, but then, before she can blink, she’s saying “I do” in front of a preacher in a marriage of convenience. All Billie and Drew have in common is the heat that brought them together, but can their sizzling passion lead to an everlasting love?

(Second in a series)

Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope Orphaned and alone, Jasminda is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her magical abilities are feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive–an injured spy who steals her heart. 

Jack’s mission behind enemy lines nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing power of a mysterious young woman. Together they embark on a perilous journey straight into the heart of a centuries-old conflict. 

Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation. The fates of two nations hang in the balance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war. ** This multicultural, new adult, fantasy romance takes place in an alternate 1920s timeline with hints of steampunk, dieselpunk and decopunk. Perfect for those who want magic and adventure in their love stories. Recommended for readers 17+.

(First in a series)

Also, check out http://www.wocinromance.com/ (run by Rebekah Weatherspoon) for tons more book recs.

[romancecanon]

3 Romances To Light Up Your Diwali

We're celebrating Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, with three books sure to strike a spark of romance in your heart, no matter how long and dark the nights are getting.

[romancecanon]

Diverse Romances Coming November 2016 - January 2016

Diverse romance recommendations and new releases coming out November 2016 through January 2017. Guard your TBR piles accordingly!

[romancingthebookworm-deactivate]