August is Read a Romance month...

I can never understand why anyone would sneer at romantic fiction. I love a crime novel, or a good thriller, or even something a bit highbrow and literary, but there is nothing, absolutely nothing half so uplifting as losing yourself in a great romance.

I discovered the joy of this when I was in my very early twenties and, stuck in bed with a horrible stomach bug, one of room mates gave me a copy of The Quiet Gentleman by Georgette Heyer. It did far more for me than whatever potion the doc had dished out.= and made me a lifelong fan of Miss Heyer.

Obviously that wasn't the first "romance" I'd read. I'd fallen in love with Mr Knightly and Darcy, although I wasn't entirely convinced by Rochester or Heathcliffe. And fellow readers will always share a great read. The same friend who bought me my first Susanna Kearsley - she now an auto buy and I was so thrilled that The Firebird was recognised last week with a Rita - just last week recommended  The Wedding Cake Tree by Melanie Hudson. So emotional.

Another favourite author, a writer I've watched from her first fabulous romance for Mills & Boon Modern Tempted to her latest bestselling maindtream, Dear Thing, is Julie Cohen. All her books are romances, but they cover a huge range from the fabulous fun of Girl From Mars, to the kind of bookshelf keeper that stays with you long after you've closed the last page.

If you had to entice a skeptic to read a romance, which author, which book would you give her?

Leave a comment and I'll put you in the draw for a copy of my latest romance, For His Eyes Only - in paper or ebook. :)

August is Read-a-Romance month. 

Every day three great romance authors will write an essay on what romance fiction means to them, recommend writers they love and give away copies of their books. We're talking writers like Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Susanna Kearsley, Jane Ann Krentz, Kristan Higgins, Susan Mallery and Nicola Cornick.  How great is that?

Here's a link where you can see the entire list of participating authors.