Favorite author is Susan Napier, I have most of her books found at second hand stores or half.com. I also love Robyn Donald and am collecting most of her old books now. Some of Robyn’s books wouldn’t be “PC” enough to be published now, but I love those older books and re-read them more than any of the more recent books, I guess they churn me up more, very emotional. My favorite books by Robyn are “A Mansion for my Love” and “Smoke in the Wind”, love them.

I also do give newer authors a change, I have been buying all of Chantelle Shaw and Abby Green’s books, I enjoy their stories.

I live in the US so I like to read books set elsewhere just for a difference. I’ve travelled to Italy, France, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and England/Scotland so I like to read those settings and recognize places that I’ve been. I haven’t been to Greece, Australia or New Zealand but would like to go, so I enjoy reading and dreaming about travelling to there also (maybe next year for New Zealand!).

Not many of the books are ever set in the US except NYC, maybe a couple in San Francisco, I would enjoy reading some US and Canada based books not in those two cities, but maybe the rest of the country isn’t “glam” enough for HP? Probably not now that every hero has to be a billionaire.

I never buy books about sheikhs, even for my “auto-buy” authors, just can’t see a sheikh as a romantic hero. I also really hate the newer titles like poison, “The Italian Duke’s Innocent, Virgin, Mistress Wife”, etc… I would prefer more normal titles instead of these silly ones, but I am probably in the minority on that point.

Aspiring Writer, I agree with you on Charlotte Lamb’s books, they were excellent and she was always on my auto-buy list. Her heroines were always the best and would put some of the more recent ones to shame.

Cheryl

Lidia – sort of agree with your point of view. I think that sometimes authors think that if the male character is not bedding women all the time, he’s somehow not “alpha”, but it’s a fine line. It’s Ok before he met the heroine, sometimes OK if they were not married and they split and he wasn’t thinking of getting back with her, but unforseen circumstances bring her back into his life (and he stops as soon as she’s back). But you are right, if he’s married to her AND he’s the one blackmailing her back into his life, then he should really have been faithful to her all that time if he truly loved her. One of my favourite books is by Nalini Singh (OK I know she’s not a presents author) where the alpha male was faithful to his love for the five years they were split because he simply couldn’t bear the thought of touching another woman (and of course the heroine was faithful to him during that period too).

Going back on topic – I wish HMB would republish some of the old Charlotte Lamb books. I’ve been collecting them from second hand book shops and charity shops, and my god, she could write! She heroines were far more self-possessed and feminist than the ones you sometimes see now.

So, I guess I could say, I pick some based on plot, some based on authors (LOVE Carol Marinelli’s Presents and Medicals, Annie West is on my must read list, Kate Hardy and Amy Andrews), based on input from this site (I just picked up Sandra Marton’s two latest — I know embarrassing that I am just now getting to read her work) and I randomly pick others just to get a feel for what is in the lines AND to be able to sit back and enjoy a read.

I have to say I am becoming a sucker a marriage of convenience, so I usually pick those up as well.

I rarely go by the cover, although the title will sometimes catch me. The Magnate’s Indecent Proposal hooked me right away!

Barbara

I’m a Mod Heat chick reader so I def read the 2 releases each month.

However, I’m swayed by author when choosing HPs and usually buy anything by Trish Morey, Annie West, Carol Marinelli and Sandra Marton (without reading the blurb)

In addition, I’ll also look at the covers of all the HPs and will read the blurbs to see if any “grab” me. BTW – I’m not fussy with my heroes – LOL – I like ‘em all sheiks, Italians, Greeks etc.. What can I say… I’m a romance reading junkie

Cheers, Joanne

I read a lot, always have and HP’s have always been my favorites. I do all of the above when choosing a new title to read and in my mind the HP authors always deliver. I’ve never read a Harlequin that I put aside because I couldn’t finish the book and that’s saying something because I’ve read thousands through the years. Authors like Kate Walker, Anne McAllister, Sandra Marton, Penny Jordan and many, many others produce great reads time after time. I’m proud to call myself a romance junkie.

Patricia

Keep up the good work.

I don’t imagine finding fresh and exciting cover art is an easy job and the covers are always well done. But it is great when the character on the cover, matches the characters described in the book. If I read about a raven haired beauty with hair flowing to her waist and the cover has a heroine with blonde hair cut in a bob, it loses something in translation. It doesn’t happen often, but it does on occassion. That is no reflection on the author since they do not pick thier own artwork for the cover. I know it seems picky or irrelivent to the story, but when I close the book after an enjoyable read and glance back at the cover, I like the characters to coincide with the book. The cover can be a great link to the story.

However, I still choose some on a single basis. I buy some of the extras and have to confess, that I have a soft spot for the Greek Hero. I always snap up anything with Greek in the title. Not sure if it is the heart-thumping, haunting, dark good looks of the typical Greek alpha or the fact that has been pointed out time and time again… no matter how ruthless he appears, underneath lies a sexy, passionate man who cares about honor and family above everything else. I also enjoy the Australian stories, but can’t seem to get into the Sheik stories as easily for some reason. That is just me and not to say for a second that the authors are not tallented and on the mark.

I do look at the title and have favorite authors like Robyn Grady, Trish Wylie and Heidi Rice. I sometimes go for the author rather than the title. To be honest, here are a few authors(only a couple) that I have found aren’t my cup of tea, but that is what makes this series so great. Just because I don’t see eye to eye with every author’s voice or style, there are plenty to choose from and if not me personally, every author’s voice has touched someone or they wouldn’t be on the list.

Keeping the stories fresh, modern, interesting and above all real, is not an easy task and I applaude every single author on this list for the contribution and tallent. I do read HP for the seductive, passionate fantasy that is promised in every book, but I am also an intelligent woman of the twenty-first century and want to see a story that reflects heros and heroines of this day and age. Even if they aren’t the perfect alpha male of the past.