Hot Romance Reads to Vanquish the Polar Vortex

(from usatoday.com
by Joyce Lamb)

Iceberg! Which could be a nod to the highly romantic "Titanic" ... except that the iceberg is in my backyard.(Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Our favorite romance authors recommend some hot reads to keep us warm while the polar vortex is vortexing all over us …

Laura Kaye, author of Hard As You Can

Holy icicles, Batman! Somebody tell the Canadians to stop invading! LOL. Good thing we have hot books and hotter book boyfriends to keep us warm! And I've hit the mother lode of book boyfriends in Scottish Highlander Jamie Fraser from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. Yes, I am totally late to this party, but since Jamie has got to be one of the hottest and most-likable heroes I've ever read I'm just glad I went in the first place! CANNOT wait for the TV series! Gah! I've also found some serious heat in Juliana Stone's Logan Forest from Offside and Shane Gallagher from Collide. I recommend all three for keeping warm!

Robyn Carr, author of The Chance (February) and Four Friends (March)

We're not exactly suffering through winter here in Las Vegas, the weather is perfect. But during the post-holiday blahs I happened upon the best book I've read in a year! The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion is a tender, engaging and completely unputdownable love story with a hero so unique and oddly lovable I was hooked from the first page. I don't know when I've ever crossed paths with a hero I needed more desperately to find and secure a happily ever after. It was special in every way and completely satisfying. From a writer's perspective, I think Mr. Simsion should be bursting with pride at having created this masterpiece! Brilliant. Really brilliant.

And I am waiting very impatiently for new books by Kristan Higgins (Waiting on You, March 25) and Jill Shalvis (Once in a Lifetime, Feb. 18). Those two dependably wonderful storytellers have never let me down and will get me to spring with a smile on my face.

Louann Carroll, author of A Shadow of Time

Finally, the rain is falling and the wind is howling. A perfect day to curl up with a glass of wine, some chocolate, and an old favorite of mine, Kathleen E. Woodiwiss' A Rose in Winter. *sigh* Erienne Fleming, daughter to an irresponsible gambler, is bought and paid for by a mysterious man who only appears to her during the day. While her heart has been given to the dashing young man, Christopher Seton, Erienne tries to remain loyal to her husband in the age-old struggle of honor vs. love. I mean, what woman wouldn't want to curl up with this book? If you love romance, Kathleen Woodiwiss is the queen of seduction and heartbreak. Once you pick up one of her books, you won't put it down until the chocolate is gone. Yum!

Reese Monroe, author of Forged by Fate

I now live in the desert, but as a former Minnesotan I still remember the bone-chilling cold they're experiencing up there right now, so it makes me want to cuddle up with a fuzzy blanket. To keep me warm, I'm diving into Ruined by fellow New Adult author Jus Accardo. Also, Cursed by Destiny by Cecy Robson is hot on my list. I just love those Weird Girl Novels. They're hot, full of kick-ass heroines, and I just love Cecy's style of writing.

Cathy Maxwell, author of The Bride Says No

Snow is coming to Virginia, but Izzy and Ransom in Tessa Dare's wonderful Romancing the Duke are keeping me worm with laughter. I love redemption stories and Izzy has her hands full in this one. Ransom doesn't make it easy for her ... but the truth is, a girl with a fairy-tale wish can do anything.

Shobhan Bantwal, author of The Reluctant Matchmaker

While the weather in my hometown of Scottsdale, Ariz., has been unseasonably warm, it is still winter here, and my favorite authors are keeping me warm. I just finished Harlan Coben's Six Years, an intricately woven mystery about something eerily perplexing that occurred in the hero's life six years ago, and he just can't rest until he finds out what happened to the woman who continues to haunt him six years after she left him for another man, then seemingly fell off the face of the earth. Khaled Hosseini's And the Mountains Echoed is now on my bookshelf. I can't wait to get into it!

Jo Beverley, author of A Shocking Delight (April)

I'm grateful not to be freezing my butt off, but if I were home in England I might be sodden. There's been so much rain this winter in Devon. However, I've escaped to Malaga in southern Spain for January, where it's mostly dry and mostly sunny, but the winds have sometimes threatened to blow me away. It's always something with the weather these days, isn't it? For the indoor times I've particularly enjoyed Anne Gracie's The Autumn Bride for the great cast of characters and the intriguing plot, plus of course the lovely romance. I've also been enjoying a re-read of Lynn Kerstan's Heart of a Tiger now it's an e-book. A juicy revenge plot with an evil duke and a sexy hero the heroine probably shouldn't trust. Definitely warming!

Riley Ross, author of The Getaway

I am reading French Silk by Sandra Brown. This is definitely one of the hottest books that will keep you warm during the coldest of cold days.


HEA contributor and curator Joyce Lamb has 25 years of journalism experience and eight published romantic suspense novels, three of which have been RITA finalists. You can reach her at jlamb@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter (@JoyceLamb). You can also follow HEA on Twitter (@HEAusatoday).