My "First" Romance Novel
I started reading Harlequins in middle school. Don’t hate on my mom, she took me to the library and let me rent books, even bought me some. I just always read through them faster than she could keep me in them. And when there was nothing else in the house, I reached for my mom’s Harlequins. It was that or stereo instructions. I’m sure you agree that Harlequins are a much better option.
Around the end of eighth grade, I picked up my first long historical. And though I’d been reading romance for a while, I’ll still always remember this as my “first romance” because it’s the first one I can remember clearly.
It was The Gift by Julie Garwood.
First of all, if you’ve never read Garwood, you should. She’s witty and light but still has the emotional weight I love in my romances.
Instead of getting into the details of the plot, as that’s not the real purpose of this post, I wanted to talk more about the experience of reading it.
I remember laughing repeatedly; Garwood is the master of the one liner. I remember there were pirates; even then I loved the adventure and suspense of pirating, but as it was longer than anything else I’d read, I really had a feel for the details. I remember that the heroine, the very spunky Sara, was doing her best to make everyone love her, despite a knack for creating mayhem. And I remember, as it was the longest one I’d ever read, feeling like I really cared about the characters so much that I didn’t want to leave them. It was a grand, sweeping story and I knew I was smitten with romance on the spot.
From there, I started grilling my mother for other authors like Garwood. I read Garwood’s entire backlist and then moved onto other big leaguers; Deveraux, Woodiwiss, Gabaldon, and fell in love with Judith McNaught.
But, that first long historical is the novel that really got me into reading romance and therefore, it holds a special place in my heart.
How about you? What romance novel was your “first,” the one to get you into reading romance voraciously, and why do you remember it so clearly? Or, is there a novel that introduced you to a new subgenre?
Books by the Crew
38 comments:
I'm pretty sure my first full length romance was a book called Wildwinds by Leslie O'Grady. It had a Wuthering Heights kind of feel only because I think much of it took place in a Moors like setting. And I remember the hero's name was Grey. I've loved that name ever since.
But McNaught is the author who brought me through my high school years. She made me cry and laugh and cry some more. You think I'm angsty now, you should have seen me at 17. LOL!
And I adore Garwood, but in my usual style, I can't remember anything from her books. They are all right there in my living room so I'll have to re-read them someday. Fortunately for me, it will be like reading them for the first time all over again. I guess the memory loss is good for something.
Ter - I love the name Grey too. Men names are tough; you want it to be strong, but not boring. That's a good one. :)
And I love McNaught. I think I've read Perfect and Paradise 100 times. :)
I have every historical Ms. Garwood ever wrote and was lucky enough to attend Ms. Garwood's chat at National Conference in Atlanta. (I sat right in front of her!) She's a wonderful lady in person, very beautiful and so talented.
My first book was Kathleen Woodiwiss' The Flame And The Flower. I remember thinking, "I want to be loved like this!" (Well, not in bodice ripper style or come to think of it maybe I did.) LOL. #2 is named after a character from Woodiwiss's book Come Love A Stranger, my all time fav.
I moved on to Joanna Lindsay's stories and some pirate series. I loved pirate books, especially one about Reagan. I think Fern Michaels wrote that one but I can't remember the name of it. There was a series of books about that family and I absorbed them in quick fashion. (And this as a teen) I wouldn't think of letting #4 read those books now. She's almost 17.
Ah but reading about romance so early on taught me to expect certain romantic jestures and things. Some not so natural to real men. LOL.
Kathy - is that Come Love a Stranger the one about the heroine with amnesia? I loved Woodiwiss' books. Those were epics!
My "first" was First Love, Wild Love by Janelle Taylor, and it featured a Texas Ranger (Colt, maybe?) and a heroine named Calinda "Callie" Braxton. She is robbed, destitute, and taken up in a brothel (until her father can collect her)--and while sleeping in one of the rooms, she is mistaken for a prostitute (yes, by our Texas Ranger. Hey, it was his room.) I loved-loved-loved this book. The covers are practically dust.
My next favorite novel was called, Autumn Dove. An "Indian" romance--I had a lot of fantasies about Gregg Rainwater from The Young Riders back then...so there you go.
And I'm pretty sure I read a lot of pirate romances. There's still one of my shelf I really enjoyed; I can't think of the title, but he was a pirate...and she was very wallflowery with bouts of feistiness--and it was good.
But then I found Jude Deveraux and Julie Garwood.
My top three Deveraux picks would be: The Raider (OMG, that's funny, very Scarlet Pimpernel); The Awakening (I felt akin to the heroine and ADORED Hank); and The Princess (WWII, a Montgomery and a princess on a remote island. Very Cary Grant screwball comedy.)
My top three Garwoods--much harder: The Gift (I loved Nathan--he's like a Beta Alpha...because he's a gruff sweetheart. A toasted marshmallow; and Sara tries so hard and is so sweet, but man, she's a clutz!); The Secret (hilarious); and Guardian Angel (because of all the memorable one-liners and dialogue.)
Kathy - The Flame and the Flower *sigh* How sweeping, how epic! LOL!! I have to admit though, it was a long one. And on the page Garwood seems like she'd be funny in person. Is she?
If real men would just pick up a romance novel, think of the tips they could get!!
Hellion - I loved all three Deverauxs you mention. I loved the Twins too, (Twin of Fire and Twin of Ice), especially Twin of Ice. I love the Taggerts. (I feel like we've talked before about how you're more into the Montgomery men, though, didn't we?)
And I loved Sara. Hilarious.
The topic "who was your first" has been a popular topic of late. It's fun to talk about your first time...well, at least with READING.
I'm a Montgomery girl, yes, but there were some Taggerts I really enjoyed too. But as secondary characters in the Montgomery series mostly. *LOL* Like in The Raider. Jessica was a Taggert; and her sister was hysterical!
Oh, I loved-loved-loved Eternity, which features the youngest sister of a group of Montgomerys who LIES to this guy who's seeking a bride and goes West to marry him. He's pissed when she gets there because she's not going to be real helpful as a farm wife (really, what he's looking for is Laura Ingalls and he got Nellie--a NICE Nellie, but Nellie). And she does everything he wants too...it's so funny, but she does it her way so...you have to read it. ANYWAY, my favorite part, HER brother shows up, and it's the brother who never gets dirt on himself...he's perfect and she's terrified of him. *LOL* I love that book.
I'm going to be re-reading books this summer, I just know it. We keep talking about it on blogs, and I've dug out my Julie Garwoods and now I'll need to dig out these. Grr.
I liked Eternity too!
You know which Montgomerys I liked? The ones in the Velvet series, especially Raine and Gavin. I have to get those out, I think.
My first romance novel was A Rose In Winter by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I was in the 8th grade and visiting my dad during Christmas break. I was very bored, and his live-in girlfriend showed me her stash of romance novels. After reading ARIW, I was an addict. I loved how the characters made cheer them on and laugh at their antics. By the end of 8th grade, I had read so many romance novels that received the "Be A Better Reader" award at my graduation ceremony. Can you imagine the looks on my teachers' faces when my classmates were listing Goosebumps or something along that line and my card was filled with romance novel titles? lol
MistyJo - LOL! I suppose they couldn't exactly discriminate, reading is reading. Though I do remember smuggling my romances into school so I could read them in down time, but I'd hide the covers so no one would poke fun. In HS, I stopped hiding them and just dealt with my teacher's barely concealed scorn.
MistyJo, our teacher Ms Yount, had us read books and part of it was we had to do a "book report" (mind you, we're like 17 years old when we're doing this) and I didn't even have to read anything new. I'd had all these books I'd read over the summer I was able to use; and we had to do projects with the books like, make quizzes and tests and reading circle questions. I had a blast with that project. All of the reports were on romance novels. Drove her mad.
HOW DO YOU PEOPLE REMEMBER ALL THIS STUFF?!?!
I remember bits of things. I loved reading Westerns. You haven't lived until you read a Nan Ryan. OMG that woman sets the page on fire. I remember reading one of hers when I was 17 and calling my mother to say, "I don't think I'm a virgin anymore." LOL! I had vicariously lost my virginity. I'm sure it could happen. Just read it!
I also remember find this really different Romance. It was like every taboo thing publishers would never print today all in one book. I think it's called Devils & Deceivers. I tried Amazon and Google but can't find it to be sure. Anyway, the hero smokes opium and takes the heroine into some majorly dark places. I still have it at home so I'll try to find it tonight.
Elizabeth Lowell has some awesome old Westerns and you can't go wrong with Garlock's work. I got on a kick to find all of her backlist back in the 80s. I must have 20 to 30 books and there are still a few I missing.
Ter - I don't think I've ever read Nan Ryan. I'll have to check that out. :)
I like Lowell and Garlock too, especially their settings. Such rugged stuff. :)
Marn - you've read Garlock? I hadn't found anyone else who read Garlock besides me. I knew I couldn't be the only one!
Have you read her more recent stuff set around the time of WWII and after?
Will I get tied to the mast and flogged if I tell you that I read my first romance novel only a couple months ago? (If you except Jane Eyre when I was 13 and the fact that I have been reading paranormal romance for some time ) Perfect was not the first, probably the second on the list but it blew me away. Made me want to order other books by MacNaught (Kingdom of Dreams, Something wonderful,Whitney, Almost heaven and I'm reading Until you right now, though i'm not liking it all that much. Got Once and Always today in the mail)And I've been haunting the romance forum at amazon to get recommendations. I loved all your posts with new authors to discover: more books to read! Though Garwood is already on my wish list (The Gift, Ransom and another one whose name I forgot)
I wish there were second hand book stores selling US books here: no way to find all those o.o.p books that everyone seems to have enjoyed.
stef - check out Alibris.com. They have just about any book you could want. Often including OOP books. If you like McNaught, you might like Shirlee Busbee and LaVyrle Spencer books are a must. Find LaVyrle's stuff. You won't be sorry.
Thanks for the link , terrio I just checked the site. They do have OOP books, but I checked the shipping fees for France ... It's 9€ per book. I'll order only if I find a book I really can't do without, and can't get through amazon.fr used books (they have them shipped from the US but the shipping fees are a third of that price...though less choice there)
I've heard about LaVyrle Spencer but never read anything by her yet. Busbee is totally new to me. Thanks for the tips. More books to add to my TBR pile!
Stick with us, Stef, and we'll have that TBR pile to the ceiling in no time. LOL! If you haven't read Joanna Bourne's The Spymaster's Lady, you might want to check it out. It's a recent release and the first half of the book is set in France during Napoleon's year's. The heroine is a French spy and I've never seen an author get a voice and tone as perfectly as Bourne did. I understand she lived in France while writing that first half.
Terri, I've read some Garlock (back when I read LaVeryle Spencer)--you're not the only one. I just don't read her now.
Oh I've seen that one mentioned somewhere else, I think it was at the Good the Bad the Unread. I'll check if I can get it through amazon.fr. But then I count on you for visiting me in debtor jail....because if I carry on like that , that's where I'll end up for sure....
Marnee Jo, I was the same way in high school. When I had free time in class, I had a romance novel in my hands.
Hellion, LOL, I don't doubt that your creativity sparkled in your projects. I bet your classmates loved your creations. I wish that one of my English teachers would have assigned a book report. By eleventh grade, I had moved from Memphis back to my small hometown in Mississippi. Lazy teachers!
Marnee, Ms. Garwood is just as funny in person. She has some really cool stories to tell about her childhood and growing up in a family of boys.
Misty Jo, A ROSE IN WINTER is one of my all time favs. The reclusive disfigured Lord who turns into a hot hunk at night. Woot!
Captive Embraces is the pirate novel by Fern Michaels that I simply adore. There was a series of like two more books afterward. Must read, wenches!! I have a copy and I may just get it out to reread. :-)
I finally got home to look up that book I was thinking of. I mixed up the title with another book. This one is actually called Rebellious Angels by Laura Parker. It was released back in '88 and the hero takes laudanum not opium. He's perfectly named Lord Drayton. The story starts in New York in 1890 and eventually moves to England where the heroine has some great conversations with Oscar Wilde.
When I googled I was happy to see this author is still putting out books. I do believe I'll have to find them.
Kathy - Did you read Garwood's For the Roses? I can tell she's got a good vibe on living with brothers. :)
Sorry, I had to run out. (My mom is closing on her house in Western PA today and I had to run to find a fax and help her with her seller's statement. Things got wild from there.)
Stef - A newbie, huh?! That's awesome. It doesn't matter how you found your way here, just that you did. Did you read Paradise as well as Perfect? I loved Whitney.
Ter - I read After the Parade last year I think. It was WWII ish. Good. Not my fav, but good. ;)
Oh, and I want to read Spymaster's Lady. I've heard such good things.
Marn - did you read the three books that come before After the Parade? That's my favorite book of hers but it doesn't have near the impact if you don't read the one before it. I think it's With Hope. The first three are With Love, With Song and With Hope but I can't remember in what order they go.
Anyway, the one before it is the one where that same h/h actually meet and fall in love. I cried almost all the way through ATP because I knew how much they loved each other in the book before. And that hero is actuall introduced in the first book of the series so you understand him much better if you read all of them.
I didn't read those books, Ter. Though I bet that would have made ATP much more moving. :)
I read my first romance in my mid-twenties and I remember it clearly, although the title escapes me. It was Johanna Lindsay's Gentle Rogue. It was also the only JL book I've read. My tbr pile became overwhelming and I found a lot of authors out there.
Thanks for the memories, I think I'll see if I can find her backlist and devour them.
Renee
Renee - I read JL when I was younger, I think there were some viking ones I've been meaning to reread. Yum... vikings.... :)
Oh, and I liked her Malorys too. And her regencies as a general.
Come to think of it, I did read one of her Viking stories. I wonder now which one it was, hmmmm, guess I need to go digging, Fires of Winter. Regencies? I think after Gentle Rogue I discovered Victoria Alexander, Christina Dodd, Cathrine Coulter, Julia Quinn and Julie Garwood, oh and Teresa Medeiros's Prince Charming, now that is one book I'd love to re-read to see if it still has the same magic as it did all those years ago when I began reading romance.
Renee
Renee - My daughter's middle name is Malory. You could say I loved that series. LOL! Highly recommend finding the rest of them. And I have some of her others on my keeper shelf as well. Fires of Winter is there but I highly recommend Prisoner of my Desire. Oh yeah, the hero is HER prisoner. Very nice. LOL!
Marnee Jo: Sorry I didn't reply sooner, it was bed time on this side of the pond. I have Paradise on my TBR pile along with Once and Always... And after reading all these posts I feel like adding more books to it....when it really doesn't need it.
Renee - Oh, Prince Charming! I loved that one! I love Medeiros as a general. She's coming to visit us soon! Make sure you watch and stop by! :)
Stef - It's a tough job around here, to help bulk up everyone's TBRs, but someone's got to do it.
LOL!!
First book? Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rogers. Then The Flame and the Flower by Woodiwiss and Laurie McBain, Tanya Huff, and Moonstruck Madness. Who wrote that? I've got to go digging. :(
I've never read Rosemary Rogers. I've heard good things about her, though. Ah... Another TBR author. *sigh*
Mrnee Jo, Rosemary writes real 'bodice rippers'. And I mean the real thing. Just don't be surprisd.
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