Sunday, February 2, 2014

Romance Authors Know Hot Reads, Especially When It's So Cold

(from usatoday.com
by Joyce Lamb)


These birdies apparently didn't get the memo to fly South in the winter.(Photo: Mike Watson Images, Getty Images/moodboard RF)

Our favorite romance authors recommend some hot reads to keep us warm while Mother Nature keeps yanking our chain. Bitter? Nope.

Rachel Van Dyken, author of The Bet

I haven't seen the sun in months — and I'm not exaggerating. The snow keeps coming down, the clouds refuse to disappear, and I'm needing a little pick-me-up to keep me from freezing my Kindle off (see what I did there?). Haha. What better way to forget about the dreary weather than to pick up a Julia Quinn historical? If you haven't read any of Julia Quinn's books, you're missing out. With witty dialogue, swoon-worthy rakes, and laugh-out-loud moments, you'll forget all about the weather and devour her books as fast as a box of cookies. Start with The Bridgerton Series ... guarantee you won't stop until you've finished every last one of those books ;)

Erin M. Leaf, author of You Taste So Sweet

When the weather is frigid and I can't figure out how to turn my snowy yard into a tropical beach, it takes more than the ordinary to heat me up. Sometimes, it takes two blankets, two hot cowboys, and a bit of over-the-top smexing to toastify my toesies. When someone tells you that two men is one man too many, do NOT listen! In Cowboys Mine by Stacey Espino, twin brothers Colton and North know just what it takes to keep their favorite neighbor, Eva, out of trouble. When they follow her from their rural ranch into the big city, the passion they generate is just what I need to thaw out my mind and heart.

Caridad Pineiro, author of Die for Love and co-author Lucky 7 Bad Boys Contemporary Romance Boxed Set

With the weather in single digits and all the Super Bowl hype going on now that New Jersey is hosting the Big Game, I think it's definitely time to dig into my TBR pile and pull out some sports-themed romances. There is Jaci Burton's fabulous Play-by-Play series. Since it's football time, maybe I'll add some books from Bella Andre's Bad Boys of Football series! Hot athletes will always warm me up!

Tina Donahue, author of Seven Sensuous Days

When you HAVE to wear socks in Southern California … baby, you know it's cold outside. To crank up the temp, I can always rely on The Top of Her Game by Emma Holly. Whoa. Talk about fun times with a hunky cowboy and the heroine's co-workers, male and female. Bad, bad girl. I love Emma's sex scenes, but her ending in that book — wow. Just wow. Every time I read it, I cry, grin, and hunger for more. I'm now into her Velvet Glove. That baby started out so hot, my brain was sizzling. Just what I needed to chase the brrr away.

Regan Walker, author of Wind Raven (March)

I'm reading a pirate romance set in the sunny Caribbean, Fortune's Mistress by Judith E. French. It's the first in her Fortune pirate trilogy. I'm reading it for Pirate & Privateer month on my Regan's Romance Reviews blog, which is February. It's a great tale with an intricate plot. Many times the heroine, who dives for treasure 60 feet down, remarks on how warm the water feels against her skin (she's used to diving off of Dover). I recommend it for a great pirate saga and one that will definitely warm you up!

Tara Sue Me, author of The Submissive

My Kindle has more books downloaded than I could ever hope to read. So when we got hit with snow this week, instead of buying something new, I went through my TBR pile and found some wonderful reads. Tessa Dare's A Lady by Midnight, what can I say? I love Dare's historicals, and I'm shocked I had an unread one. A Slow Burning Fire by J.F Jenkins. It's a sweet romance, but the story is captivating. Lastly this week, I'm reading Darkness Rises by Dianne Duvall. An Immortal Guardian is guaranteed to keep you warm on a cold winter's night!

Dee DeTarsio, author of The Scent of Jade

I live in San Diego, (where, FYI, we are supposed to get a quart of rain today). I don't mean to brag, but I was lucky enough to get my hot li'l hands on an Advanced Reader Copy of Your Perfect Life by BFFs Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke. Who can resist the premise of switching bodies with your best friend? Smart, sharp, sarcastic, this debut novel is due out this summer (June 10), and it is awesome, and heartwarming, and guaranteed to give you the warm fuzzies!

(Disclaimer: Dee DeTarsio only goes back to visit her family in Ohio for two days in early October, because she is equally petrified of tornadoes and being trapped in a snowstorm!)

Jane Lynne Daniels, author of Say it Again, Sam

I just began reading Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. Can't believe it's taken me so long to meet the memorable Sookie Stackhouse! This is just the novel to take my mind off the freezing temperatures in Ohio, and best of all, there are more books in the series once I finish this one. Curling up in front of the fire with my Kindle and my dog ...

In case you missed the first three posts about hot reads to prevent freezer burn, check them out here, here and here.


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).

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