Fans of Interracial Romance discussion

Many of us are escapist readers. We read because we want to go into a fiction landscape where we can get away from the real world for a few hours and see into someone else's life. Even though we may appreciate non-fiction and more serious books, we also love our just plain fun books.

Which books give you a spot of joy in your everyday life? Do you get to do many rereads of those books?

They don't have to be interracial or multicultural books.

Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja) wrote: "Many of us are escapist readers. We read because we want to go into a fiction landscape where we can get away from the real world for a few hours and see into someone else's life. Even though we m..."

Books about dancers, or dance in general. I don't care if it's fiction, biography, strippers, or ballerinas. Just as long as it explores the struggle, the passion, beauty, musical expression, etc of the dance life. If she's a stripper I don't necessary want to read it if she hates everything about the profession. It can realistically depict the downsides of the life, but don't want book full of whining. One of my favorites is surprisingly enough Nora Roberts . It features a former Broadway dancer, turned stripper heroine that is all kinds of awesome.

I also really like fairytale retellings, bonus points for Beauty and The Beast themes.

The genres I love are all over the place and I love to reread. My TBR list is about a mile long and I will never read everything on it. I mainly read for escape so the far fetched fantasy stories are right up my alley. I just recently started down the gritty MC path as well!

My comfort reads. These are the one that I will read over and over. I will pick them up when nothing else is working for me or I can just get into anything. These guarantee a satisfied read even tho I've already read them.

- love the entire Kate Daniels series. But this is the one that I just flat out FLOVE. It is the one where the series takes off and doesn't look back. This is the one where you realize Kate is a true bad ass! She sets a gold standard of kick ass heroines for me.

- The perfect romance novel as far as I am concerned. You spend 5 previous books with all of Wulf's (the hero's) siblings finding love. All that time he is this dark, enigmatic head of the family. He finally gets his own romance and his blows the rest out of the water. Balogh gives him a heroine who is the exact polar opposite of him and it works beautifully.

- Miles Vorkosigan is hands down my absolute favorite fictional character. Hands down! And this book is the jewel in the crown of a truly fantastic space opera series.

- My favorite Georgette Heyer book. The audiobook version is excellent.

- This brought me back to romance novels after I had stopped reading them for awhile in the 90s. Felt very fresh at the time. Still love it. Audiobook version narrated by Anna Fields is incomparable.

- This book just came out last year. I've already read it three times. Love this series. The world-building is outstanding.

I try to reread these books, when I get Chance. If not the whole book, the parts about the characters that I love.

I like to read when Sam and Alyssa first hook up.

First book that I have read by Suzanne Brockmann. Here is where Sam and Alyssa stuck to me. Sam is my baby!

I like to read Sam and Alyssa's part in all the other books that they are featured in. I have to say that I didn't really care for Sam and Alyssa's second book. . Sam and Alyssa didn't appear to be the Sam and Alyssa from Gone Too Far. I know that they are married in this book and have baby Ash, but still they seem off to me, especially Sam.

The book I fell in love with Dave Malkoff. Sexy nerd!

I love Dave too. I like to read Dave and Sophia parts.

Dave and Sophia's book. They are my second favorite couple from Suzanne Brockmann's series. Do I have to say more?

I like to read Dave and Sophia's part from other books as well. I always knew that these people was going to wind up together.

Two words. Cole Clayborne. Sexy cowboy.

Two words. Noah Clayborne. He's Cole's great great grandson. Modern day sexy cowboy. He loves to shoot to kill, just like his great great grandfather.

Noah Clayborne.

I need to check up on my favorite characters, when I get a chance.

Thanks for sharing. I love to hear people talk about their book loves!

I have two romance novels that I've reread more than anything else in my collection. They are both physical copies, that I've also repurchased repeatedly if damaged, or never returned.

- This Virginia Henley novel is my all time favorite historical. I loved that it follows Princess Eleanor Plantagenêt from childhood, a complicated love life, the intrigue of royal family dynamics, and court politcs. This version of Simon de Montfort might be my favorite romantic hero in the traditional sense.

- I love Brenda Joyce's Jane Erye-ish romance between a blue stocking, and a Russian prince. This might be the book that makes me perk up when seeing Russian anything in a blurb.

I don't get much time for rereads, honestly. But fond memories of this book take me back to my happy place.

Lord of Scoundrels
The Shadow and the Star
All Through the Night
A Well Pleasured Lady
The Texan's Wager

Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs (love her writing so much)

Ice Station serious action movie style buttkicking
The Innocent assassin hero paired with wisecracking teen (enough said)--more of a recent favorite

The Fables graphic novel series by Bill Willingham--I love fairy tales, and this series really celebrates them.

The Color Fairy Books by Andrew Lang (as I said, I love fairy tales)

The Bible--greatest book ever written. An endless source of comfort and guidance to me. It's a living book.

Anne Stuart books take me to that happy place. She writes dark romance, but it's like a lens to life. if a truly dark hero can fall in love, then love conquers all. Most of my all time favorites list is taken up with her books.

Heartless by Mary Balogh (gosh I love the hero in this one, even when he's being a big fat jerk)

Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell--controversial book, but powerful to me.

Christine Feehan's GhostWalker series. Freaking love these books. Awesome mix of action and romance with lethal heroes who are stone cold in love.

Anything by Ilona Andrews

New favorite UF series is the Hellequin series by Steve McHugh--antiheroish buttkicking sorcerer. Awesome action and great use of folklore and mythology.

I really love Simon R. Green's writing. He's funny and weird and dark. A nice combination.

MR James writes a fantastic, old fashioned ghost story.

As much as others dish out on them, I love the Black Dagger Brotherhood books by JR Ward.

Oh man, I have a lot of rereads that get me...

Historical Romance
, , ,
New Adult
,
YA
(There's a reason this book started a long-winded trend and almost subculture, people!lol),

(I must increase my bust!(Judy Blume)
MC Romance
,
Dark Romance
, ,
PNR
,
Fantasy
, (also Dark & Somewhat-Erotic, IMO)
More Erotic or just really sexy (also PNR), (also contemporary and suspense)
Vamps, Lycans/Were-people
(also very Erotic), , ,
Contemporary Pretty much most of the earlier stuff done by Nora Roberts, especially
Romantic Suspense
, , ,
IR
(most of the series), , ,

You reminded me of some I forgot, Vallsykes. I'd definitely have Twilight on my list.

I would have Mackenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard
Beast by Pepper Pace
Trolling Nights and Being Plumville by Savannah J. Frierson

Johanna Lindsey was my first romance author. I love A Heart So Wild. Definitely on my list.

I have to say I still love my Harlequin Presents. Good old fashioned escapist reading!

I'm loving seeing all the Julie Garwood love in this thread. I also have to include Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series.

Good Historic IR and Military Romance and Bios are my faves to read. The books I can reread over and over and never get tired of would be: Being Plumville by Savannah J. Frierson, Kincade's Rose by Aliyah Burke, Choices by Tammy Williams, Second Chances by Reana Malori, At Last by Lisa G. Riley, The Politics of Love by Giselle Carmichael, The Fancy by Mercedes Keyes, Flight of the Fancy by Mercedes Keyes, Rescued by Arlene Lam, Before Sunrise by Sienna Mynx, Thierry's Angel by Shara Azod, and almost anything by Pearl Cleage.

Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja) wrote: "You reminded me of some I forgot, Vallsykes. I'd definitely have Twilight on my list.

I would have Mackenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard
Johanna Lindsey was my first romance author."

Lindsey was one of my firsts as well. My favorites by Lindsay happen to include more of the Mallory novels: and . And yes, I have read Mackenzie's mountain several times, along with his son's, Joe Mackenzie's, book.

A-W wrote: "Good Historic IR and Military Romance and Bios are my faves to read. The books I can reread over and over...Kincade's Rose by Aliyah Burke,Before Sunrise by Sienna Mynx, Thierry's Angel by Shara Azod"

Here, here for , (especially the first part of that book), and (Azod's best, IMO, is with the Chevalier series.

Danielle, thank you for bringing up Anne Stuart. I forgot about my babies from her Ice Series. Kilian is my number one baby from that series. I like Reno too. I have to admit, I'll reread about Kilian more than I would Reno.

Paganalexandria **wicked juices bubbling over** wrote: "I'm loving seeing all the Julie Garwood love in this thread. I also have to include Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series. [bookcover:Pleasure of a Dark Prince|633..."

It occurred to me that this needed to be on this list. Love this series.

Arch wrote: "Danielle, thank you for bringing up Anne Stuart. I forgot about my babies from her Ice Series. Kilian is my number one baby from that series. I like Reno too. I have to admit, I'll reread about Ki..."

I just started rereading Fire and Ice. It may take a while, but I'm loving it.

Fun topic! My favorite stories almost always involve a platonic attachment turning into love. I will try just about any book with a marriage of convenience or Beauty and the Beast retelling plot, lol. Books I will always return to (this is just a few...):

Classics
my favorite romance of all time, awesome and so quotable

Historical
I am a huge LK fan and this is the last book in her best series IMO, it is a but of a twisted BatB... Sebastian and Evie are my jam, , , JK has maybe three books I rate below three stars but I re-read these more than the others, my favorite JL novel, one of AQ's best and one of the few historicals with a great plot outside of the romance, I hemmed and hawwed about buying this, then fell in love with just about every single thing in it.

Contemporary
really long and worth the time. It's extra dated but fantas tic, I read this in high school loved it, lost it and then found it again, IR MoC with a hot Russian? Yes, please, IR BatB retelling? Again, yes, I love this book but haven't read it in a while because the sequel was a hot mess, this had to be a book the author tried to submit to Harlequin Presents, and I love it so and about a trillion Harlequins.

Action/ PNR
I usually avoid FBI/Govt in my romance but this was so good , my first and fave by SL, I loved both main characters so much... I need to read this again, lol.

Mystery
everything in the Langdon Prep series has been great but this one I had to read again, Agatha Christie is one author I haven't put down since I picked up my first book by her.

ETA: thanks for all the book suggestions everyone! I have been eyeing the Immortals After Dark for awhile. Will have to try the series out.

How could I forget Lisa Kleypas? (smacks head)

I love her books. Devil in Winter, oh man oh man!

It's easier to say which of her books I didn't like than the ones I did.

Julie Garwood, another old favorite!

Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja) wrote: "How could I forget Lisa Kleypas? (smacks head)

I love her books. Devil in Winter, oh man oh man!

It's easier to say which of her books I didn't like than the ones I did.

Julie Gar..."

Yay another Devil in Winter lover! Yeah, I have read so many LK books that listing everyone I love would be a talk order.

And I agree on your choice of the Bible. Life affirming it has a little bit of everything.

MsKingsPens wrote: "Fun topic! My favorite stories almost always involve a platonic attachment turning into love. I will try just about any book with a marriage of convenience or Beauty and the Beast retelling plot, l..."

Thank you for the shoutout! I'm very glad you enjoyed Being Plumville! :)

Those are awesome reads Velvetgypsy.

My escape books are hometown books like Susan Mallery "fool's gold series' Sheryl woods "sweet magnolias series" and Rochelle Alers " cavanaugh island series" and if I really want to escape and paranormal romance with a real decent plot. Right now it is the living violet series by Jamie reed and tiger bound series by Tressie Lockwood.

Savannah wrote: "MsKingsPens wrote: "Fun topic! My favorite stories almost always involve a platonic attachment turning into love. I will try just about any book with a marriage of convenience or Beauty and the Bea..."
Any time! I've re-read that book so many times I found myself quoting it, lol.

It's funny that none of my favorite IR books are making this list. I think mainly because my favorite IRs tend to have pretty dark themes, so "happy" isn't exactly the mindset they take me to. Most of my favorite books of any genre wouldn't fit here come to think of it. The books I previously mentioned are my palate cleansers, before I get caught up in another crime organization bloodbath.

The first book that comes to mind is . The characters were so witty and likeable, and the budding romance between the two leads was just delicious to read! I'm smiling just thinking about it. :-)

Velvetgypsy you're most welcome. Yes I agree Thierry's Angel is the best but Remy Goes to Therapy is also very good to me. Remy and Thierry are the best of the cousins in that series to me.

velvetgypsy wrote: "I've read these books so many times it's criminal:) Kathleen E Woodiwiss was a favorite of mine ,, [bookcover:Ashe..."

How did I forget Jane Eyre. Classic in every way.

Paganalexandria **wicked juices bubbling over** wrote: "It's funny that none of my favorite IR books are making this list. I think mainly because my favorite IRs tend to have pretty dark themes, so "happy" isn't exactly the mindset they take me to. Most..."

I would be tempted to put Dmitry's Closet on the list, but it is pretty dark. I think I would list it because it has a deadly Russian hero, my Kryptonite. :)

I loved A Personal Matter. I think the chemistry and enemies to friends to lovers story was well done. I loved Ice. I think this would be a great movie.

Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja) wrote: "Paganalexandria **wicked juices bubbling over** wrote: "It's funny that none of my favorite IR books are making this list. I think mainly because my favorite IRs tend to have pretty dark themes, so..."

Despite all it's flaws, I love that series. Those men are something else! Plus I'll take a great storyteller over technically perfect, but boring every time.

I also think this happy theme doesn't jibe with my favorites because the books I really love have a tendency to leave me emotionally wrecked. Maybe I'm a bit of an emotional masochist, because most of the light stuff gets passed over, or lower rated by me.

I love stories about Black women meeting the sexy cowboy because I was born in Texas. So to read a story about a ranch that's out in the middle of no where but its surroundings are breathtaking and the love between to two people are so strong those are the books that take me to a happy place. Aaren Loving True The Blacker the Berry

Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja) wrote: "velvetgypsy wrote: "I've read these books so many times it's criminal:) Kathleen E Woodiwiss was a favorite of mine ,[bookcover:The Wolf and the Dove|8966..."

Oh Wow! I started reading kathleen Woodiwiss in high school, I think Shanna was the book I read. Needless to say that was many many moons ago..LOL! Also, one book a read over and over is "A Rage Against Heaven" by Fred M Mustard.

I love The Throwaway Year by Pepper Pace. I have read it several times and it always makes me feel good.

Although they are on my read, but don't buy list I do love The Immortals After Dark Series. It always takes me to my happy place. ...

Shelly Laurenston Pride and Magnus Pack series, especially , ,and

and the Vampire Huntress Series by L.A. Banks
, , , , ...

I don't meet cowboysI find attractive in real life but I love cowboys in books and movies, Flip.

These are the books that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling leaving a smile on my face. Never get tired of reading them over and over again.

AA
, , , , , , ,

Black ops
,

I/R
,
, , ,
series

Tracey, I loved the series by Rochelle Alers with the Cole family. I don't think I ever finished that series. I have the books somewhere in my collection.

I liked all Brenda Jackson's books she wrote for the Arabesque line as well. The Madaris series, esp these:

Fire And Desire
Surrender
One Special Moment

Tracey wrote: "These are the books that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling leaving a smile on my face. Never get tired of reading them over and over again.

AA
, [bookcover:Hideawa..."

Aphrodisiac was a really great read. The subject matter was...tough but I enjoyed it just as much when I read it again.

The True Mates series by Zena Wynn and Promises Kept by Priscilla Poole Rainwater.

Zina wrote: "The True Mates series by Zena Wynn and Promises Kept by Priscilla Poole Rainwater."

Oh I forgot about . I really liked that book. I haven't seen anything from that author in awhile.

Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja) wrote: "Tracey, I loved the series by Rochelle Alers with the Cole family. I don't think I ever finished that series. I have the books somewhere in my collection.

I liked all Brenda Jackson's books she wr..."

Fire and Desire is one of my favorites too!

MsKingsPens wrote: "Tracey wrote: "These are the books that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling leaving a smile on my face. Never get tired of reading them over and over again.

AA
, [bo..."

I agree MsKingsPens, its a tough read but an AWESOME story

Tracey wrote: " Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja) wrote: "Tracey, I loved the series by Rochelle Alers with the Cole family. I don't think I ever finished that series. I have the books somew..."

I agree with you both on Aphrodisiac. That book was totally unexpected, intense but well done.

I also left out Beverly Jenkins. All of her books are pretty great but these three stand out for me as being my favorites: , and

Mstcat wrote: "Zina wrote: "The True Mates series by Zena Wynn and Promises Kept by Priscilla Poole Rainwater."

Oh I forgot about . I really liked that book. I haven't seen an..."

I loved Promise to Keep. That was a great read.

Mstcat wrote: "Tracey wrote: " Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja) wrote: "Tracey, I loved the series by Rochelle Alers with the Cole family. I don't think I ever finished that series. I have ..."

Oh my goodness, YES to Beverly Jenkins! Her books always put a smile on my face.

+2 on Beverly Jenkins. I really love Westerns and it's great to see black people in the Old West. The truth is that 1 in 3 cowboys was black.

I have all of Lisa Kleypas books (hard copies) except for her latest. Love her historicals the best.

First historicals I read were Catherine Coulter Night series. Good stuff.

I will also re read some Harlequin Blaze by Alison Kent, Tori Carrington, Vicki Lewis Thompson.

Throwbacks are Harlequins by Penny Jordan, Debbie Macomber, and some Betty Neals. The tension in the books is well written!

Brenda Jackson, Lori Foster, Carly Phillips.

I could go on and on...lots of favs rate a happy place.

I love all my old Harlequins. They have a special place on my keeper shelves. Penny Jordan is definitely an old favorite, God rest her.