Books I've Loved: Contemporary (Fiction and Romance)

Pour Some Sugar on Me

I've always loved Lisa Kleypas's historical novels, so when I saw she was coming out with a contemporary I was pretty excited. And in Sugar Daddy she doesn't disappoint. The story of a young girl growing into her own despite all the trauma that comes her way, it reminded me of old school romance. Highly satisfying.

Touching

I'd never read a book by Luanne Rice and I figured it was time, so I procured Dance with Me. Loved it. A lush, rich story about a mother and her two daughters and decisions made in the past that are still affecting everyone in the present. The characters have that vivid, real feel like they live next door and you've known them all your life.

Green Chickens

What happens when your mother is kidnapped in return for a stinky bird that resembles a green chicken that's illegal to have in the states? You have Maybe Baby by Lani Diane Rich.

I could go into more detail about the story but, heck, I keep coming back to the stinky green chicken (actually a kakapo, an almost extinct bird from New Zealand). If that doesn't entice you to read Maybe Baby, nothing else I could say will sway you.

Sweet and Quaint

I'm a city girl, but I loved Small Town Girl by Patricia Rice. Actually, Nate and I did a brief but excruciating stint in a small town, so I appreciated many of the characters in the book.

Aside from that, if you're looking for a romance where the characters are bold and vivid and have great chemistry, Small Town Girl is for you.

Plain Old Fiction

Though there's nothing plain about this book. I went to visit my friend Diego one day and the first thing he said to me was that he had a book I absolutely had to read. Sighing, I thought not another one as he handed me Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I took it trepidaciously, because I don't groove on all the books Diego gives me. (Sorry Diego.)

I freaking loved it. It's about a boy who becaomes obsessed with a book. One day his father takes him to this mystical place of books and tells him he can take one. The boy picks the one he's drawn to, and it catapults him into years of intrigue, sadness, and joy. It's funny and touching all at once. And Diego said the original Spanish version was even better than the English translation, which was excellent in my opinion.

Note: I need to make amends to Afra, Diego's wife and my dear friend of over twenty years, who was a bit, um, puzzled why Diego got a mention on my site and she didn't. So, my cultured pearl—here's a couple minutes of fame. (This does not mean I'll mention anyone else who calls and complains—you know who you are.)

The Sound of Breaking Glass

A story about a chick who, at her wedding, hears a voice telling her to run? Gotta love it. For that alone I'd recommend Un-Bridaled by Eileen Rendahl.

But if you need more reasons to read Un-Bridaled, how about the quirky characters? Chloe, the main character, is so much fun. She's messed up, but she's determined to figure out her life. In the process, she stumbles across new friendships. And secrets from the past.

Sheep vs. Wolves

I have to admit I'm a little jealous of how well Donna Kauffman does sexual tension. I mean, I was practically gnawing my knuckles waiting for the heroine and hero in The Big Bad Wolf Tells All to get together. And if that isn't enough, Donna also creates sparkling characters that seem like your closest friends. All in all, a fun book.

Causing Delight

Before I start talking about Causing Havoc, let me just say I love Lori Foster's work. She writes such great heroes and her stories are just down-to-earth, fun tales.

That said, Causing Havoc didn't disappoint. I loved the hero, Havoc, who's a tough Ultimate Fighter champion with a marshmallow center. He goes back to the sisters he was separated from as a youth and finds not only the family he's been missing but love with his sister's fierce best friend.

I'm SO looking forward to reading Lori's next book. I hear she's also venturing into paranormal.

Blabbing the Secret

I hereby confess: I had Secret Society Girl for almost a year before I actually read it.

Now I regret waiting so long. The general plot line: a sarcastic female college student gets inducted into a secret society that previously only accepted men. The main character was likable despite her many flaws, and even though at times you wanted to slap her upside the head and tell her to buck up you still enjoyed spending the time with her. Plus the writing is totally entertaining and very clever in parts.

Seductive Mystery

Okay, I admit it—I started The Seduction of Water by Carol Goodman because my friend Melissa loaned it to me. She doesn't like most books, so when she said she enjoyed this, I had to read it. Not so much because I wanted to know about the book, but because I wanted to understand Melissa better.

I may have started The Seduction of Water because Melissa gave it to me, but I finished it because I was completely seduced by the story. It's about a woman unraveling the mystery of her mother's life and death through the faery tale her mother wrote.

What I loved most about The Seduction of Water was the way everything wove together. Seamless is the best way to describe it.

Sublime Romance

Sometimes I get the urge to read books I've read before. This time when the urge struck, I decided to read some classics by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

Now I have a dilemma: I can't decide which is my favorite book. I love Nobody's Baby But Mine—the Lucky Charms scene is so great. I chuckle every time I think of it. Only I love Lady Be Good and Heaven, Texas too. The characters in each of those stories are so well drawn—quirky but real. Okay—I think I have it. I'd have to say my current favorite is Ain't She Sweet?. The classic snappy dialogue you can expect in a SEP book is there. Like usual, it's a clever story. But this one touched me more because it's about a woman who made mistakes in the past but is doing her best to live according to her new credos. It's about redemption and forgiveness and coming into your own.

SEP Rocks

I'm not even going to bother writing a description of Match Me if You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. It lives up to all her other books: great characters with fun and entertaining dialogue. If you haven't read SEP, shame on you.

Current Reads