September's #Romance GENRE GIANTS!
To celebrate Romance Month, I’ve put
together a list of the romance ‘Genre Giants’. These are the
books and authors who are topping the best-sellers charts. A round of
applause to their achievement, and if you’re looking for a good
read, it’s a pretty safe bet you’ll find it here!
The best-seller rankings and
descriptions are from Amazon.com as the largest seller of online
books. (As of September 1, 2013) All covers link to Amazon.
1. Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken
Sometimes when you think it's the end, it's only the beginning. Wes thought he could save me, but in giving me everything, he ruined me. Because after one kiss, one touch, I couldn't--I wouldn't ever be the same.
And from that moment on, his heartbeat became my own.
With an incredible 4.8 stars and #1 in three separate romance sub-genres Ruin seems to be a major hit. In fact, it’s currently sitting at #3 in the entire kindle store. If you enjoy romance novels I think this one is a pretty safe investment in your entertainment, and it’s only 99c!!!
2. Raising
Ryann (Bad Boy Reformed #1) by Alyssa Rae Taylor
Twenty-year-old Reese Johnson can finally leave her troublesome past behind. She enters college with her best friend, Gia, and spends her time doing what she loves--working as a self-defense instructor at a local gym. Then Luke Ryann enters the picture. He's the tall, dark, and tattooed MMA fighter her boss hires to privately train her. One minute, he captivates her with his piercing brown eyes and boyish dimples. The next, he infuriates her with his relentless banter and cocky bad boy behavior. He's the last thing she wants or needs, and she never expects to fall in love with him.
Luke's jaded past has him keeping a safe distance. Despite what he feels, some things are better left alone. He has a dangerous secret--one that has the potential to risk their lives. As he fights the attraction between them, can he resist the growing tension and protect the woman he'll never be able to have?
Raising Ryann, the first book in the Bad Boy Reformed series, isn't just a story about first love. It's filled with action, suspense, mystery, and a touch of humor.
Recommended for mature audiences due to situations of abuse, violence, strong language and sexual content.
Another romance novel burning up the charts, Raising Ryann is currently #21 in the Kindle Store and #1 in Romantic suspense. Readers seem to be impressed with an average of 4.5 stars in the reviews. Is bad boy your flavour? Then chances are you’ll enjoy Raising Ryann!
3. Bring
Me Home (Shattered Hearts #3) by Cassia Leo
After a devastating year apart and thousands of miles of distance between them, Claire met sexy surfer Adam Parker. With his awful jokes and profound patience, he helped Claire pick up the shattered pieces of her broken heart for the second time.
But now Chris has returned and he is willing and determined to make Claire's dreams come true--the same way she did for him when she let him go.
With Adam's former girlfriend in the picture, Claire finds herself torn between the new, passionate love she shares with Adam and the love and family she shares with Chris.
4.6 stars and #20 in the Kindle Store says that this is a fantastic romance book. It seems to be especially popular in the ‘Coming of Age’ sub-genre. As the last book in the series it sounds as though you probably want to read the other two books first. Some disgruntled readers appear to be disappointed with this final instalment of the series but the majority are raving fans. So if you’re looking for a romantic coming-of-age novel, this is probably for you.
4. The
Hero (Thunder Point #3) by Robyn Carr
5. The
Long Way Home by Tara Brown
6. Flat-Out
Love (Flat Out Love #1) by Jessica Park
7. Undeniably
Yours (A Porter Family Novel Book #1) by Becky Wade
8. Stripped by Jasinda Wilder
So how did I get myself into this situation, you ask? Simple: desperation. When you're faced with being homeless and hungry or taking off your clothes for money, the choice is easier than you'd imagine. That doesn't make it easy, though. Oh no. I hate it, in fact. There's nothing I'd like more than to quit and never go into another bar again, never hear the techno beat pulsing in my ears again, never feel the lecherous gazes of horny men again.
Then, one day, I meet a man. He's in my club, front and center. He watches me do my routine, and his gaze is full of hunger. Not the kind of desire I'm used to though. It's something different. Something hotter, deeper, and more possessive. I know who he is; of course I do. Everyone knows who Dawson Kellor is. He's People Magazine's Sexiest Man alive. He's the hottest actor in Hollywood. He's the man hand-picked for the role of Rhett Butler in the long-awaited remake of Gone With the Wind.
He's the kind of man who can have any woman in the entire world with a mere crook of his finger. So what's he doing looking at me like he has to have me? And how do I resist him when he looks at me with those intoxicating, changeable, quicksilver eyes?
I'm a virgin, and he's an American icon of male sexuality. I'm a stripper, and he's a man used to getting anything and everything he wants. And he wants me. I know I should say no, I know he's the worst kind of player...but what my mind knows, my body and my heart may not.
And then things get complicated.
4.2 stars over 277 reviews and #34 in the Kindle Store says this is a good book. As does its position as #4 in the Coming of Age category. The description is intriguing and according to reviews Stripped is one sizzling book not to be missed.
9. Freefall by Tess Oliver
10. Burn
(The Breathless Trilogy, #3) by Maya Banks
1. Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken
I'm
not your typical girl. I've been running away from the memories that
haunt me for so long that depression has become my only comfort. I
was content in the darkness...until Wes Michels offered to be my
light.
I didn't know that time wasn't my ally -- that every
second that ticked past was one step closer to the end of something
that was beginning to mean the end of myself. He tried to warn me. He
promised me all he was able to offer--each moment as it came--but it
would never be enough.
Sometimes when you think it's the end, it's only the beginning. Wes thought he could save me, but in giving me everything, he ruined me. Because after one kiss, one touch, I couldn't--I wouldn't ever be the same.
And from that moment on, his heartbeat became my own.
With an incredible 4.8 stars and #1 in three separate romance sub-genres Ruin seems to be a major hit. In fact, it’s currently sitting at #3 in the entire kindle store. If you enjoy romance novels I think this one is a pretty safe investment in your entertainment, and it’s only 99c!!!
Twenty-year-old Reese Johnson can finally leave her troublesome past behind. She enters college with her best friend, Gia, and spends her time doing what she loves--working as a self-defense instructor at a local gym. Then Luke Ryann enters the picture. He's the tall, dark, and tattooed MMA fighter her boss hires to privately train her. One minute, he captivates her with his piercing brown eyes and boyish dimples. The next, he infuriates her with his relentless banter and cocky bad boy behavior. He's the last thing she wants or needs, and she never expects to fall in love with him.
Luke's jaded past has him keeping a safe distance. Despite what he feels, some things are better left alone. He has a dangerous secret--one that has the potential to risk their lives. As he fights the attraction between them, can he resist the growing tension and protect the woman he'll never be able to have?
Raising Ryann, the first book in the Bad Boy Reformed series, isn't just a story about first love. It's filled with action, suspense, mystery, and a touch of humor.
Recommended for mature audiences due to situations of abuse, violence, strong language and sexual content.
Another romance novel burning up the charts, Raising Ryann is currently #21 in the Kindle Store and #1 in Romantic suspense. Readers seem to be impressed with an average of 4.5 stars in the reviews. Is bad boy your flavour? Then chances are you’ll enjoy Raising Ryann!
Claire
Nixon is a college student with a past full of secrets and
heartbreak. She was saved once by her first love, and rock star,
Chris Knight. But when she encouraged Chris to leave town to pursue
his dreams, both Claire and Chris didn't realize it would be the
biggest mistake of their lives.
After a devastating year apart and thousands of miles of distance between them, Claire met sexy surfer Adam Parker. With his awful jokes and profound patience, he helped Claire pick up the shattered pieces of her broken heart for the second time.
But now Chris has returned and he is willing and determined to make Claire's dreams come true--the same way she did for him when she let him go.
With Adam's former girlfriend in the picture, Claire finds herself torn between the new, passionate love she shares with Adam and the love and family she shares with Chris.
4.6 stars and #20 in the Kindle Store says that this is a fantastic romance book. It seems to be especially popular in the ‘Coming of Age’ sub-genre. As the last book in the series it sounds as though you probably want to read the other two books first. Some disgruntled readers appear to be disappointed with this final instalment of the series but the majority are raving fans. So if you’re looking for a romantic coming-of-age novel, this is probably for you.
In a moment of
desperation, Devon McAllister takes her daughter and flees a place
where they should have been safe and secure. She has no idea what is
around the next bend, but she is pretty certain it can't be worse
than what they've left behind. Her plan is to escape to somewhere she
can be invisible. Instead, an unexpected offer of assistance leads
her to Thunder Point, a tiny Oregon town with a willingness to help
someone in need.
As the widowed
father of a vulnerable young boy, Spencer Lawson knows something
about needing friendship. But he's not looking for anything else.
Instead, he's thrown his energy into his new role as Thunder Point's
high school football coach. Tough and demanding to his team, off the
field he's gentle and kind…just the kind of man who could heal
Devon's wounded heart.
Devon thought she
wanted to hide from the world. But in Thunder Point, you find bravery
where you least expect it…and sometimes, you find a hero.
Although this book has only received 28 reviews, NONE of them have been less than 3 stars! That’s pretty incredible for a book which has obviously had many readers (currently sitting at #24 in the Kindle Store). It looks as though both the Kindle and the paperback versions are doing well and readers are happy. Some reviewers suggest this series isn’t Robyn Carr’s best, but still found it enjoyable. If you’re a fan of Robyn Carr, or romance novels in general grab yourself a copy- an average of 4.4 stars is pretty promising!
Although this book has only received 28 reviews, NONE of them have been less than 3 stars! That’s pretty incredible for a book which has obviously had many readers (currently sitting at #24 in the Kindle Store). It looks as though both the Kindle and the paperback versions are doing well and readers are happy. Some reviewers suggest this series isn’t Robyn Carr’s best, but still found it enjoyable. If you’re a fan of Robyn Carr, or romance novels in general grab yourself a copy- an average of 4.4 stars is pretty promising!
How
lucky can one girl get?
Just ask Jacqueline Croix. She has it all. The right fiancé, money, looks, and connections.
But everything comes at a cost. Sometimes that cost is looking the other way when the imperfections of your world start to show themselves.
When something happens that she just can't look away from, she ends up drunk in a Chanel dress at a pity party on the beach in SC. There on the beach, she finally sees the cost of having everything is too high.
Luckily, Jacqueline has one thing most girls like her do not, somewhere to run when she leaves it all behind.
That somewhere happens to be to the open arms of the New York Rangers' right wing, Mike France. He has always been there through thick and thin, waiting for his chance to make her his.
But how do you go from being best friends to lovers, when you know all the dirty details?
4.4 stars and #28 in the Kindle Store says this book has a lot of promise. It’s also currently #5 in the Contemporary Romance sub-category. Despite this it seems that not all readers were impressed. Several readers found the characters unlikeable, describing them as careless and prone to making stupid decisions. However, these are definitely outweighed by the 19 five star reviews.
Just ask Jacqueline Croix. She has it all. The right fiancé, money, looks, and connections.
But everything comes at a cost. Sometimes that cost is looking the other way when the imperfections of your world start to show themselves.
When something happens that she just can't look away from, she ends up drunk in a Chanel dress at a pity party on the beach in SC. There on the beach, she finally sees the cost of having everything is too high.
Luckily, Jacqueline has one thing most girls like her do not, somewhere to run when she leaves it all behind.
That somewhere happens to be to the open arms of the New York Rangers' right wing, Mike France. He has always been there through thick and thin, waiting for his chance to make her his.
But how do you go from being best friends to lovers, when you know all the dirty details?
4.4 stars and #28 in the Kindle Store says this book has a lot of promise. It’s also currently #5 in the Contemporary Romance sub-category. Despite this it seems that not all readers were impressed. Several readers found the characters unlikeable, describing them as careless and prone to making stupid decisions. However, these are definitely outweighed by the 19 five star reviews.
He
was tall, at least six feet, with dirty blond hair that hung over his
eyes. His T-shirt read Nietzsche Is My Homeboy.
So, that was Matt. Who Julie Seagle likes. A lot. But there is also Finn. Who she flat out loves.
Complicated? Awkward? Completely.
But really, how was this freshly-minted Boston transplant and newbie college freshman supposed to know that she would end up living with the family of an old friend of her mother's? This was all supposed to be temporary. Julie wasn't supposed to be important to the Watkins family, or to fall in love with one of the brothers. Especially the one she's never quite met. But what does that really matter? Finn gets her, like no one ever has before. They have connection.
But here's the thing about love, in all its twisty, bumpy permutations—it always throws you a few curves. And no one ever escapes unscathed.
Flat Out Love has received an incredible 1511 reviews, so it’s pretty safe to say that the average of 4.4 stars is well deserved. As always there were some people who didn’t enjoy the book but at #26 in the Kindle Store and #1 in Romantic Comedy it’s clear that Flat Out Love is a success and well worth the $1.99 asking price.
So, that was Matt. Who Julie Seagle likes. A lot. But there is also Finn. Who she flat out loves.
Complicated? Awkward? Completely.
But really, how was this freshly-minted Boston transplant and newbie college freshman supposed to know that she would end up living with the family of an old friend of her mother's? This was all supposed to be temporary. Julie wasn't supposed to be important to the Watkins family, or to fall in love with one of the brothers. Especially the one she's never quite met. But what does that really matter? Finn gets her, like no one ever has before. They have connection.
But here's the thing about love, in all its twisty, bumpy permutations—it always throws you a few curves. And no one ever escapes unscathed.
Flat Out Love has received an incredible 1511 reviews, so it’s pretty safe to say that the average of 4.4 stars is well deserved. As always there were some people who didn’t enjoy the book but at #26 in the Kindle Store and #1 in Romantic Comedy it’s clear that Flat Out Love is a success and well worth the $1.99 asking price.
When
Meg Cole's father dies unexpectedly, she becomes the majority
shareholder of his oil company and the single inheritor of his
fortune. Though Meg is soft-spoken and tenderhearted--more interested
in art than in oil--she's forced to return home to Texas and to
Whispering Creek Ranch to take up the reins of her father's
empire.
The last thing she has the patience or the sanity to deal with? Her father's thoroughbred racehorse farm. She gives its manager, Bo Porter, six months to close the place down.
Bo's determined to resent the woman who's decided to rob him of his dream. But instead of anger, Meg evokes within him a profound desire to protect. The more time he spends with her, the more he longs to overcome every obstacle that separates them--her wealth, his unworthiness, her family's outrage--and earn the right to love her.
But just when Meg begins to realize that Bo might be the one thing on the ranch worth keeping, their fragile bond is viciously broken by a force from Meg's past. Can their love--and their belief that God can work through every circumstance--survive?
This book is hitting #1 in the Christian Religious Fiction and Christian Romance categories. IT currently sits at #36 in the Kindle Store. Fans are raving about it and with 133 reviews Undeniable Yours is currently rated at 4.6 stars. If Christian romance is your thing, then Undeniably Yours is a pretty safe bet!
The last thing she has the patience or the sanity to deal with? Her father's thoroughbred racehorse farm. She gives its manager, Bo Porter, six months to close the place down.
Bo's determined to resent the woman who's decided to rob him of his dream. But instead of anger, Meg evokes within him a profound desire to protect. The more time he spends with her, the more he longs to overcome every obstacle that separates them--her wealth, his unworthiness, her family's outrage--and earn the right to love her.
But just when Meg begins to realize that Bo might be the one thing on the ranch worth keeping, their fragile bond is viciously broken by a force from Meg's past. Can their love--and their belief that God can work through every circumstance--survive?
This book is hitting #1 in the Christian Religious Fiction and Christian Romance categories. IT currently sits at #36 in the Kindle Store. Fans are raving about it and with 133 reviews Undeniable Yours is currently rated at 4.6 stars. If Christian romance is your thing, then Undeniably Yours is a pretty safe bet!
He's
a movie star sex god. She's a virgin... and a stripper.
So how did I get myself into this situation, you ask? Simple: desperation. When you're faced with being homeless and hungry or taking off your clothes for money, the choice is easier than you'd imagine. That doesn't make it easy, though. Oh no. I hate it, in fact. There's nothing I'd like more than to quit and never go into another bar again, never hear the techno beat pulsing in my ears again, never feel the lecherous gazes of horny men again.
Then, one day, I meet a man. He's in my club, front and center. He watches me do my routine, and his gaze is full of hunger. Not the kind of desire I'm used to though. It's something different. Something hotter, deeper, and more possessive. I know who he is; of course I do. Everyone knows who Dawson Kellor is. He's People Magazine's Sexiest Man alive. He's the hottest actor in Hollywood. He's the man hand-picked for the role of Rhett Butler in the long-awaited remake of Gone With the Wind.
He's the kind of man who can have any woman in the entire world with a mere crook of his finger. So what's he doing looking at me like he has to have me? And how do I resist him when he looks at me with those intoxicating, changeable, quicksilver eyes?
I'm a virgin, and he's an American icon of male sexuality. I'm a stripper, and he's a man used to getting anything and everything he wants. And he wants me. I know I should say no, I know he's the worst kind of player...but what my mind knows, my body and my heart may not.
And then things get complicated.
4.2 stars over 277 reviews and #34 in the Kindle Store says this is a good book. As does its position as #4 in the Coming of Age category. The description is intriguing and according to reviews Stripped is one sizzling book not to be missed.
After
leaving high school, with a hard won diploma and the title of most
likely to break hearts, Alexander "Nix" Pierce has left his
wild, out of control years mostly behind him. A small inheritance
from his grandfather has given him the funds to open up his tattoo
shop, Freefall, and he has started to pull his life together. Aside
from trying to keep his best friend, Dray, from killing himself in
the fight ring, and his slight obsession with a pin-up model he's
never met, Nix's life is going smoothly . . . until Scotlyn James,
the object of his obsession, walks into his shop.
Ever since a tragic accident killed her family and left her alone in the world, Scotlyn James hasn't spoken one word. Up until now she didn't care that she had no way of talking to people. Her awful aunt would never have listened, and Lincoln Hammond the arrogant, selfish man who pulled her from the streets of Los Angeles wouldn't hear her words if she could speak. But when Lincoln insists she get a tattoo to cover up a scar on her side, Scotlyn meets the artist, Nix Pierce. And now she longs for her voice. Now she has found someone who will hear her.
A coming of age romance novel which has readers spellbound with an average of 4.4 stars. Freefall is currently #39 in the Kindle Store and is a USA Today Bestselling Book. Although it seems several reviewers weren’t happy with the character development, but as always it’s impossible to please everyone!
Ever since a tragic accident killed her family and left her alone in the world, Scotlyn James hasn't spoken one word. Up until now she didn't care that she had no way of talking to people. Her awful aunt would never have listened, and Lincoln Hammond the arrogant, selfish man who pulled her from the streets of Los Angeles wouldn't hear her words if she could speak. But when Lincoln insists she get a tattoo to cover up a scar on her side, Scotlyn meets the artist, Nix Pierce. And now she longs for her voice. Now she has found someone who will hear her.
A coming of age romance novel which has readers spellbound with an average of 4.4 stars. Freefall is currently #39 in the Kindle Store and is a USA Today Bestselling Book. Although it seems several reviewers weren’t happy with the character development, but as always it’s impossible to please everyone!
Ash,
Jace, and Gabe: three of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the
country. They’re accustomed to getting anything they want. Anything
at all. For Ash, it’s the woman who changes everything he’s ever
known about dominance and desire...
When it comes to sex, Ash McIntyre has always explored his wilder side—extreme and uncompromising. He demands control. And he prefers women who want it like that. Even the women he’s shared with his best friend, Jace.
But Jace is involved with a woman he has no intention of sharing. And now even Gabe has settled into a relationship with a woman who gives him everything he needs, leaving Ash feeling restless and unfulfilled.
Then Ash meets Josie, who seems immune to his charms and his wealth. Intrigued, he begins a relentless pursuit, determined she won’t be the one who got away. He never imagined the one woman to tell him no would be the only woman who’d ever drive him to the edge of desire.
As the final book in a trilogy Burn seems to have seared through the erotica market and is currently sitting at #2 in both the Kindle and Book erotica categories. The book has an average of 4 stars although there is quite a spread of reviews. Some readers who have read other books by Maya Banks felt that this particular title was a letdown, but overall Burn has been well received. Take note though, it is an EROTIC novel, so only grab this one if you’re up for some sizzle.
When it comes to sex, Ash McIntyre has always explored his wilder side—extreme and uncompromising. He demands control. And he prefers women who want it like that. Even the women he’s shared with his best friend, Jace.
But Jace is involved with a woman he has no intention of sharing. And now even Gabe has settled into a relationship with a woman who gives him everything he needs, leaving Ash feeling restless and unfulfilled.
Then Ash meets Josie, who seems immune to his charms and his wealth. Intrigued, he begins a relentless pursuit, determined she won’t be the one who got away. He never imagined the one woman to tell him no would be the only woman who’d ever drive him to the edge of desire.
As the final book in a trilogy Burn seems to have seared through the erotica market and is currently sitting at #2 in both the Kindle and Book erotica categories. The book has an average of 4 stars although there is quite a spread of reviews. Some readers who have read other books by Maya Banks felt that this particular title was a letdown, but overall Burn has been well received. Take note though, it is an EROTIC novel, so only grab this one if you’re up for some sizzle.
Romance Giveaway!
