Tag: best romance novels

ATTENTION READERS: New Romantic Fantasy, The Chamber of Curiosities is now available on Amazon. Be the first to read and review the novel, set in an ancient carnival. The gothic tale  features a a sensuous older woman/ younger man romance.

In The House on Black Lake heroine Alexandra Brighton is obsessed with charismatic Ramey Sandeley, a man she met in her early thirties, who is now, as is she, in his forties. However, it is young French artist Andre Labat, a man twenty years her junior, who teaches her about the fragile nature of love and trust, and guides her to bare her darkest secrets and desires. Another character, Luna, is well into her sixties and uses her sex appeal to allure men of all ages.

It is natural for mature women to be drawn to younger men, as they provide greater reproductive prowess, progressive knowledge, and more vibrant protective mechanisms. Society finds derogatory names for women who dare enter into these unions as there is fear by older men that they will be left alone, abandoned for young bucks biting at their heals.

Following are 75 novels featuring mature woman and younger men. Many feature minor age differences. But, I am including these unions, as the romance community (many thanks to Amazon) feel representations of age and status difference are considered unique in context of their cultural history. The list is in no particular order.

Renaissance

1. Return to Night by Mary Renault - 11 years difference

2. To Please a Lady by Susan Johnson - spinster fights against being wooed to marriage

Georgian

3. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (7/91) -- Time Travel -- Claire is older than Jamie.

4. Pleasure Me by Monica Burns - courtesan is 12 years older that 29 year old lord

Traditional Regency

5. A Promise of Spring by Mary Balogh - h is 10 years older and serious demeanor - mismatched love

6. The Ramshackle Suitor by Nancy Butler

7. The Bishop's Daughter by Susan Carroll

8. The Dower House by Carola Dunn - story of house for widows and young girl looking for new life 

10. An Immodest Proposal by Patricia Oliver - 5 years younger, less educated, charming

12. The Bumblebroth by Patricia Wynn -Widow is drawn to the man she chose to wed her daugher

Regency

13. To Wed a Viscount by Adrienne Basso - Widow sets out to marry deceased fiancee's younger brother to save house

14. Anthology: In Praise of Younger Men by Jo Beverley, Cathy Maxwell, Jaclyn Reding - stories feature mature women with younger men

15. The Stranger I Married by Sylvia Day - widow's MOC turns passionate when husband returns from exile

16. A Talent for Sin by Lavinia Kent  - three times a widow with man in early 20's

17. Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas (6/01) -30 year old finds love with 25 year old

18. Victor by Julia Templeton -Erotica - widow is 38, hero is 10 years younger.

19.The Duchess' Lover by Julie Beard - heroine is 40, hero is in late 20's

20. Sleeping Beauty by Judith Ivory - Courtesan is 8 years older

21. Rebel Baron by Shirl Henke  -h 36 - H 30

22.Brazen by Susan Johnson - h is thirty-five with children and as experienced as younger lover

Frontier - Western - Americana

23.  Tiger Lil by Ellen Archer  Victorian -

24. Summer Fancy by Anne Avery - 1895 Colorado - tall, plain women finds love with young farmer

25. The Spirit Path by Madeline Baker 1872  -Hawk 25 and Maggie 32

26. Loving Mercy (Zebra Debut) by Teresa Bodwell 1860s Kansas and Colorado

27. The Randolph Legacy by Eileen Charbonneau - 1810s Virginia Post-American Revolution - 9 years difference

28. Anthology: The Invitation by Jude Deveraux 1920/1930s

29. The Rainbow Season by Lisa Gregory

30. Last Chance by Jill Marie Landis - 1894 Montana

31. Courting Miss Hattie,  Wild Oats, and Simply Jess by Pamela Morsi

32. Midnight Confessions by Candice Proctor [New Orleans, Civil War] - Widow  is 30 and 5 years older than yankee marshall, who is 25 years.

33. From Fields of Gold by Alexandra Ripley (11/94) -- 1900s-1910s - woman is nearly 30 when barely 20-year-old agrees to marry her.

34. Christmas Day Family by Cheryl St. John - (A) A Western Winter Wonderland - Marvel Anne is 33 and Dr. Seth Paxton 26.

35. The Tender Texan by Jodi Thomas -German widow needs husband to claim land in new world - offers $100 to man to marry for one year - the taker is a boyish lad, but also a seasoned gunslinger

Historical Fiction - Historical Mystery

36.  Farrier's LaneThe Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Mystery Series - Late Victorian England - Charlotte's mother, 53-55 ,meets her longtime lover, Joshua, 40, in this book.

Contemporary - Romantic Suspense

37. The Last Time I Saw Paris by Elizabeth Adler. When her surgeon husband tells her there's another woman, Lara Lewis, 40-something, decides to invite a much younger man to go with her on a trip to Paris she had planned for she and her husband as they retraced their honeymoon.

38.  Convincing Silvia By Erin Aislinn - Silvia is 46 and Andy is 35. e-book short story.

39. Night Magic by Charlotte Vale Allen ( The secondary character Kitty is 10 years older than Hal. Kitty is/was the housekeeper/nanny for Marissa and Hal is Erik's personal assistant.

40. The Man in the Black Leather Mask by Evangeline Anderson - Erotica  - Attorneys Jacqueline (Jax) Emerson and Ryan Cutler: 10 yrs difference.

41. Garden of Scandal by Jennifer Blake - Beautiful recluse Laurel Bancroft hires Alec Stanton, more than 10 years younger, intelligent, talented and passionate, to help her redesign her garden.

42. Enchanted Cottage by Linda Bleser - Liz Riley discovers an enchanted cottage where time stands still. She wakes up to find her youth restored, and her passions ignited by the owner of the cottage - a man she believes is young enough to be her son.

43. Love in Another Town by Barbara Taylor Bradford- h is 15 years older

44. Ladies' Man by Suzanne Brockmann - almost 10 year difference.

45. The Defiant Hero, Into the Night, Out of Control, Breaking Point, Trouble Shooters Series -by Suzanne Brockmann -Navy seals - multiple character story lines

46. What You Won't Do For Love by Wendy Coakley-Thompson -Disillusioned Chaney Braxton 36-years-old, meets 28-year-old "tadpole" half black, half Korean veterinarian Devin Rhym, who may be young, but he's got an old soul.

47. The Object of Love by Sharon Cullars - Interracial - Sean Logan, 21-year-old white male, and Lacey Burnham, 42-year-old black mother of his deceased, but ghostly and angry, ex-best friend, Calvin.

48. The Last True Cowboy, What the Heart Knows, Night Falls Like Silk, by Kathleen Eagle by Kathleen Eagle.

49. Bound to Please by Lilli Feisty -Erotica - Ruby Scott, event planner is 37, Mark St. Crow is 29 and plays the piano, rock star.

50. Reunion by Therese Fowler - Lue Reynolds is 9 years older than Julian Forrester.

51. Confession by Elizabeth Gage - an unhappy and betrayed wife falls for the young fiance of her only child.

53. Under the Wire by Cindy Gerard -h 10 years older than h 40s/30s. She was his first and only true love and when she left seventeen years ago, she took more than his heart.

54. The Price by Joan Johnston - Secondary Romance - she is 53, he is 35

55. Love Becomes Her by Donna Hill -  he is a basketball millionaire more than half h's age

56. Leaving Normal by Stef Ann Holm - 9 years difference - Hispanic Hero

57. Romeo and Julia by Annie Kimberlin - 10 years.

58. Fallen From Grace by Laura Leone - h is 35 and author of a medieval mystery series, H is 26 and a male prostitute.

59. Call it Paradiseby Mary Jane Lloyd - successful advertising consultant has prominent attorney,as a lover. She meets younger owner of ad agency and their attraction intensifies.

60. A Minor Indiscretion by Carole Matthews -  38-year-old wife and mother of three has an affair with a gorgeous street artist 15 years her junior

61. Tim by Colleen McCullough - Mary is a 40-something unremarkable spinster, while Tim is 25-year-old mentally retarded young man who looks like a Greek god.

62. Dancing at the Harvest Moon by K.C. McKinnon

63. A Rhythm Divine by Judy Mays - 13 years

64. She'll Never Know - by Hunter Morgan -A victim of amnesia handsome lifeguard 10 years her junior. And then the first memory flashes return.

65. Bewitched by Constance O'Day-Flannery - Successful career woman falls in love with a lawyer from turn-of-the-century America. He is younger and angry for being jettisoned a hundred years forward in time.

66. Flirting With Forty by Jane Porter - divorced mother of two vacations in Hawaii for 40th birthday. Depressed with flabby middle-aged prospects poolside, she finds herself drawn to a younger, tanned and sexy surf instructor.

67. One Summer by Karen Robards - a Kentucky school teacher takes a former student under her wing after he is paroled from prison for a crime she does not believe he committed. Their love causes tongues to wag in the small town. Suspense.

68. Family Blessings by LaVyrle Spencer - a woman answers the front door to learn her son has been killed. The person offering the news is a police officer and also her son's best friend. The young man becomes a surrogate sibling to her to other children and a friend to her. Gradually their love turns to passion and when he proposes she must confront the judgments of others.

69. Anything For Love by Janelle Taylor - Widow is 47; hero is much younger ex-football star

70. Snowfall at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs  - veterinarian is ten years younger than international lawyer.

71. Anyone but You by Jennifer Crusie - light, funny playful - Woman turning 40 looks forward to new life away from stuffy ex husband and suburbs. New life in her own aparment in city brings the "puppy" she desires, and a gorgeous 10 yrs younger E.R. doc sends her hormones raging.

72. Meandar Scar by Lisa Lickel - woman's husband disappeared 7 years ago. A neighbor, nearly young enough to be her son, returns from law school and helps her with paper work to declare husband dead. Story follows process of loss, grieving, and the transformative power of love, as well as the hurdles a mature woman/younger man relationship can face.

73. Naked in the Rain by Debra Marhowitz -43 year old woman picks up 23 year old stud in bar and takes him home for the night. They become fast friends and she provides him motivation and direction while he helps her come to terms with ghosts of past. Sexy, omance, suspense, pathos.

Alternate World - Science Fiction - Fantasy - Futuristic - Vampire - Paranormal

71. Primary Inversion by Catherine Asaro

72. Ritual of Proof by Dara Joy

73. Alternate World  - by Susan Grant

75. The Object of Love by Sharon Cullars

A mature woman with a younger man is the perfect match.

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ATTENTION READERS: New Romantic Fantasy, The Chamber of Curiosities is NOW AVAILABLE.  Be the first to read, review, and start discussions on forums. The seductive tale, set in a carnival in an ancient land, features a host of characters with intense love obsessions who experience jealousy and rage at loss of control over beloved.

Ramey Sandeley from The House on Black Lake experiences his first taste of jealousy when Alexandra Brighton and her son Samuel visit the summer home he shares with his wife Ruth and five young children. Ramey has never heard the word "No" and is not accustomed to being turned down or having romantic feelings towards anyone. He views his business and personal life as a series of conquests, and is always the winner.

His first taste of the bitter drug of jealousy comes on the day Alexandra spends a long afternoon in the arms of seductive young French artist Andre Labat. His confrontation following her liaison illuminates  untapped feelings and reveals a darker, cruel side. Ultimately, jealousy is the agent of transformation and catharsis for both Alexandra and Ramey and sets in motion a string of events with profound consequences.

Based on votes from romance forums the best jealous alpha males in romance literature are as follows (in no order of preference):

1. Jake from Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire - hot book  fast on the rise

2. Dragos from Dragon Bound  by Thea Harrison

3. Seth from Out of Control by Shannon McKenna

4. Lachlain from Hunger Like No Other (Immortals After Dark Series) by Kresly Cole

5. Jacques from Dark Desire (Carpathian Series) by Christine Freehan

6. "Iceman" from Dangerous Games by Lora Leigh - erotic

7. Lord Ian from The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashly

8. Tristan from A Rose to the Fallen by April Bostic

9. Bones from Night Huntress Series by Jeaniene Frost

10. Raphael from Guild Hunter Series by Nalini Singh

 ATTENTION READERS: New Romantic Fantasy, The Chamber of Curiosities is NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER. The e-book will be delivered to your Kindle on Sunday, May 14, 2017. Be the first to read, review, and start discussions on forums. In the epic love story, set in a carnival in an ancient land, forbidden love is a central theme, and taboos are broken by both hero and heroine, and a host of supporting characters.

In The House on Black Lake Alexandra Brighton meets Ramey Sandeley months after they each have wed another. They both fall in love at first sight, but it is too late. Ramey's wife is pregnant with their first child, and Alexandra is impregnated that night by her husband. Years later, a world weary, Alexandra journeys to Black Lake to find resolution to the obsession that has kept her captive for years.  She is now single, but he is still married and the father of five children. In addition to the lure of infidelity, the taboo of incest, racial and age differences, and marital bisexuality are also explored.

Below are listed thirty favorite forbidden love romances. Thanks to Amazon romance community for their input.

1. Forbidden by Tabith Suzanna - Soon to be released. The novel deals with brother/sister incest in a sensitive manner that is both illuminating and heart breaking

2. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullogh - a young priest's faith is tested when he falls in love with a and beautiful woman

3. The Scarlet Letter   by Nathaniel Hawthorne - A Puritan woman has an affair and illegitamate child with priest that leads to her being tagged with the scarlet letter

4. The Object of Love by Sharon Cullars -  a woman's son dies and when his friend returns (now a handsome young man) she finds herself falling for him.

5. By possession by Madeline Hunter - a master and his serf

6. Indigo Love Spectrum by different authors - publisher specializes in romance stories with African American women with white men.

7. Through a Dark Mistby Marsha Canham -Medieval tale - a young woman is set to be wed in an arranged marriage but falls in love with an outlaw en route

8. Surrender by Pamela Clare (Mackinnon Rangers Series) - Western -  Religious difference - protestant/catholic. Everyone warns them to stay away from each other, but to no avail

9. Untamed (Mackinnon Rangers Series) by Pamela Clare - H is a prisoner of war

10. Sweet Release by Pamela Clare - H is a criminal and h purchases him, trusts and believes in him

11. Stranger by Elizabeth Lane - h a widowed mother and H a drifter. She isn't aware that he was with the group of men who killed her husband and tortured her years before

12. Lakota Love Song - and others, by Madeline Baker. Her novels focus on Native American men and white women

13. Fever by Katherine Sutcliffe - h is a young heiress of a plantation and H   poor overseer.

14. Star series by Patricia Potter - entire series features forbidden love

15. The Bounty by Beth Williamson -  H is hired to capture h, then falls in love

16. Diablo by Georgina Gentry - Western - h is a lady and H is a drifter/ gun for hire. H kidnaps h for revenge on her fiance, then  falls in love with her

17. Relentless by Patricia Potter - she's his captive, the daughter of the man he desires to revenge

18. The Heat by Heather Killough Walden - h falls for her best friend's brother despite friend's insistence she keep away

19. Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr -  H loves h but won't persue her because she's married

20. Star Bright by Catherine Anderson  h is married to an abusive man and H isn't sure if it's reasonable to act on his feelings

21. Heartless by Diane Palmer - h and H are step-siblings

22. Perfect by Judith McNaught - H is a criminal on the run from jail, wanted for murder and h falls for him

23. No Chance by Christy Reece- h is very wealthy and H is very poor. Her father forbids them to marry, then when they do he destroys marriage. Eight years later they have a second chance at love.

24. Second Chance by Christy Reece - H is responsible for her husband's death and knows he should tell her, but gets involved nonetheless

25. Run to me by Christy Reece - h has amnesia and H knows he should walk away because they have a terrible past, but his love for her is too power to resist

26. Unlawful Contact by Pamela Clare - H escapes from prison and is wanted by the law and h helps him

27. Stealing Midnight by Tracy MacNish - h is a strange, abused, and sheltered young woman who has an insane father. h saves H from her father. His feelings for her are marred by fact that she is so strange his family will likely never accept her

28. Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas - H is hired to bring h home to her fiance but instead marries her himself

29. The Last Highwayman by Katherine O'Neal - H is an outlaw bandit and h is a duchess. Their love is fierce, although circumstances conspire to keep them apart

30. Stealing Heavenby Jaclyn Reding - h's family will not allow her to be with H and attempt to marry her off to someone else

31. Wife by Contract, Mistress by Demand by Carole Mortimer - H is much older than the h and she's loved him since she was in her teens

32.Texas Destiny - h falls for brother of her fiance

33.Passion (Fallen) by Lauren Kate - paranormal - YA - star crossed lovers over the centuries

34.Heart of the West series by Maggie Brendan - h falls for husband's brother

35. November of the Heart by LaVryle Spencer - H is rich, H poor

36.The Secret Pearl by Mary Balogh - Regency - H is married, after night of paid love he asks h to work in home

37. One Summer by Karen Robarbs - teacher and student - five years age difference - H paroled prison for murder of girlfriend, h believes him innocent

38. Grave Sight - paranormal that gradually unveils step sibling romance
Forbidden Love is so Sweet:

The Following is a list compiled by the Manchester Library, and so offers an English opinion (and they are masters of the genre) of the best written written romance novels in genre of contemporary gothic suspense,  romantic suspense, modern romantic thriller, historical romance, modern romantic suspense.

I will soon be compiling a list with an American perspective of what consititutes the best romance novels of all time.

Not listed in order of preference:

1. Sailing to Capri  An English tycoon dies mysteriously and leaves a note naming six people he suspects might have wanted him dead, by Elizabeth Adler.

2. The Scarlet Thread A British nurse and an American soldier meet, fall in love, and secretly marry during the Second World War. Years after the events of war separate them, a chance meeting brings the couple together to consider their lost love, by Evelyn Anthony.

3. Tregaron's Daughter A young woman from a small English village finds romance and mystery when she embarks on a voyage to Venice, by Madeleine Brent.

4. Rebecca  Classic Gothic tale of love and deception, by Daphne du Maurier

5. Darkwater Gothic romance with deep mystery and danger by Dorothy Eden

6. The Property of a Gentleman  Set in England's Lake District, this novel revolves around the world of art and antiques, by Catherine Gaskin

7. Savannah Purchase  Savannah in the early 19th century is the setting for this novel of romance and intrigue, by Jane Aiken Hodge.

8. The Silk Vendetta Historical romantic suspense set in 19th century England, by Victoria Holt

9. The Shrouded Walls and the Dark Shore  Two spellbinding tales of romance, danger and death , by Susan Howatch

10.  I Came to the Highlands  During the 1700s, with a heavy heart, a young woman leaves America and her true love to accompany her ill and destitute father to his family's castle in the Scottish Highlands. Unwelcome at the castle after her father's death, she is certain her life is in danger, by Velda Johnston

11. The House on the Left Bank In this late 19th century historical novel set in Paris, a young American woman faces many dangers as she seeks to solve a horrifying crime...a classic combination of Gothic romance and suspense. 

12. Shattered Silk The world of vintage couture is the setting for this suspenseful tale of romance and intrigue, by Barbara Michaels

13. Airs Above the Ground. . .The Stormy Petrol Mystery, danger and love await the reader of novels written by this classic romantic suspense author Mary Stewart

14. The Turquoise Mask In this novel by a master of romantic suspense, a woman returns to New Mexico to uncover secrets surrounding her mother's death, by Phyllis Whitney

15. China Silk Despite warnings, a young girl accepts a marriage proposal from a British government official stationed in colonial Hong Kong in the 1920s, by Anne Worboys

CONTEMPORARY ROMANTIC SUSPENSE 

16. Hello Darkness. . . White Hot. . .Chill Factor . . . RicochetPopular author Sandra Brown delights fans with her fast-paced romantic thrillers.

17. A Grave MistakeA novel of mystery, deceit and desire set in contemporary New Orleans, by Stella Cameron 

18. The Cove. . . The Maze. . . The Target Historical romance author Catherine Coulter delivers suspense and romance in her first three FBI thrillers.

19. Illusions The breathtaking mountains of Aspen, Colorado, form the backdrop for this romantic thriller by Janet Dailey

20. Slow Burn, Murder List, Killjoy
An author known for her historical romances pleases her fans with novels of contemporary romantic suspense - Julie Garwood.

21. Danger in the ShadowsIn this novel with Christian fiction overtones, a woman in an FBI witness protection program faces danger when she finds herself falling in love.
 

22. Prior Bad Acts Readers will find spine-chilling suspense and seductive romance in Tami Hoag's thrillers set in Minnesota. 

23. Haunting Rachel Gothic overtones mark this modern romantic thriller, by Kay Hooper

24. Open SeasonA small-town librarian, looking for a lover and trying to reinvent her boring life, faces danger when she becomes the target of a killer, by Linda Howard.

25. Lost and FoundThe world of art and antiques is the setting for Jayne Ann Krentz's novel of mystery and romance.

26. The Wrong Hostage. . . Always Time to Die Elizabeth Lowell is an award-winning master of contemporary romantic suspense, and this duo is sure to please her many fans.

27.  In The Dark A young woman is named sole beneficiary in her estranged aunt's will and then is suspected of murder when her aunt suddenly disappears. Can she trust the handsome investigator to whom she is is helplessly drawn?, by Meagan McKinney.

28. Night Train to Memphis More mystery than romance, this fifth installment in Elizabeth Peters' popular series features art professor, Vicky Bliss.

29. The Midnight Hour . . . To Trust a Stranger Fast-paced suspense with emphasis on romance, by Karen Robards

30. The House on Black Lake An obsession with a charismatic man leads an American woman on a seductive and harrowing journey through the Montreal underground.

31. Midnight Bayou  A winning combination of romance and mystery in New Orleans, by Nora Roberts

32. Hot Ice Exotic Madagascar setting...hot passion... highly-charged suspense, by Nora Roberts. 

33. Expose. . . The Last Lover TV journalist Sally Harrington is featured in this contemporary romantic suspense series
by Connecticut author, Laura Van Wormer.

Courtesy of Manchester Public Library