Top Five: Romances

So I've been going through all these old reviews and I had some waves of nostalgia over books I'd read and loved, and I started thinking... what are my top five romances of all time? The five books that have stuck with me the best, the five books that I'd reread any time, the top five books that still make me feel all warm and melty inside?

Then I agonized for a long, long, long, longlonglong time. This was HARD. And I definitely cheated -- this is more like top seven. In no particular order:

Think of England, KJ Charles

This is the gold standard for my love of pairings where one person is a cat and one is a dog. ...not in a furry way, although if that's your thing, cool. Curtis is ex-army, and he's bold and strong and brave and forthright and says what he means. Daniel is a spy, and a poet, who happens to be both Jewish and gay in a world that doesn't want him to be either. He's self-contained and totally guarded and uses biting humor to keep people as far away as possible. The pairing is perfect, because they're so good for each other. Curtis needs Daniel to figure things out for him, and Daniel needs Curtis to believe in him and have his back. Curtis starts off really not liking Daniel at all, and his revelation that he loves him is perfect. Once Curtis changes his mind, he's in 100%. Maybe even better for me, though, is that Daniel doesn't expect or demand Curtis love him, and when he realizes that Curtis is serious he just can't believe it. If I could wipe my memory Eternal Sunshine style and reread any romance, I'd want to reread this one.

Like No Other Lover, Julie Anne Long

My very very favorite of Julie Anne Long's books, and maybe my very favorite Regency "she needs to find a husband for money problems, quick" book ever. Most of these books feature a woman who is at the end of her rope, but she's innocent and lovely and means well, and the man she loves just happens to be the answer to her prayers. Not Cynthia. Life handed her lemons and Cynthia is going to make her own damn lemonade no matter what. She meets Miles, who makes her feel butterflies, but he's on to her scheme almost immediately, so she gets him to help her try and catch a husband instead. Miles is also great: he just wants to be a scientist and sail around the world doing research. He teams up with Cynthia and realizes that not only is she beautiful, but she's smart, too. Sure, she has an agenda, but she has a reason for it, and oh if only Miles could disappoint his beastly father and marry someone like Cynthia, if only... This book made me happy all over, and every time I think about it I'm happy again.

Mr. Impossible (or maybe Lord of Scoundrels), Loretta Chase

A long time ago I thought I wasn't going to read romance novels, and when I did read them I was always like, "but this isn't a TRASHY romance, this is a STRANGELY GREAT romance novel." Eventually I gave myself over to it and stopped apologizing for what I was enjoying. A big part of that was Loretta Chase. Her books are so witty, her heroines are so smart and feisty and delightful, and her heroes are funny and kind and when they are big alpha males they are also secret dolls inside. I honestly would recommend ALL of her books, and narrowing it down to just one favorite was impossible, so I'm cheating. Mister Impossible is a goddamn delight from start to finish; it's The Mummy as a romance novel. Rupert is a big, impulsive, tempermental dude who has found himself in jail in Egypt. Daphne is a widow who is an Egyptologist and needs a guide to help her find her brother. The book is a laugh-riot and oh, so satisfying when they get together. (Lord of Scoundrels is about a big angry scary dude, and the sassy widow who is zero percent afraid of him, and then he turns out to be a sweetheart. ...and I also want to throw in a word for Lord Perfect. I love all these books so much.)

The Suffragette Scandal, Courtney Milan

How could I possibly love this book more??? It's not set in a made-up fairy tale version of the Regency, the heroine is a suffragette who runs a women's newspaper. Edward is a rogue and a forger who tries to blackmail her, almost immediately realizes she's better and smarter than he is, and promptly throws in with her instead, because he knows she's the best one. And there is lovely family stuff, and some background lesbians, and I just couldn't have been happier. I love every book in this series -- hang on, I love every book by Courtney Milan -- but a sassy, brilliant, feminist lady who still feels like she fits perfectly into the time period, and a rogue with a heart of gold who would do anything for her? Oh man. Oh mannnnnnnn.


These Old Shades, Georgette Heyer

Heyer invented the Regency romance genre. I couldn't decide between this one and the Grand Sophy, but nearly every Heyer could be here instead. Charming shenanigans, grand romance, feisty heroines, brooding men, wacky families, life and death situations, daring escapes... These books invented everything and they are so satisfying. These Old Shades features a Duke who is proud of being known as satan (or nearly) and a plucky young orphan who dresses up like a boy and works for him, and how she uses her charm and brilliance to change his life. The Grand Sophy is all about how the family is unhappy until Sophy sweeps in, fixes everyone's problems, and makes everyone fall in love with the right person. They are both absolutely beautiful, so satisfying to read, and will always make me happy on a sad day.

Let me know your top five, so I can find more awesome books, please!