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grerp: the PERSONAL side of AAR Rachel

My 2007 Top 100 Romances ballot

posted Thursday, 18 October 2007

Here's my Top 100 Romances ballot for All About Romance.  Many links are included to reviews, author interviews, and author profiles I've done.  

This time around I compiled my list a little differently.  Since I'd only re-read some of these books, I had a hard time evaluating each according to its overall and enduring magnificence.  So I went through the database and did a little re-rating based on my current feelings about the book - points were added for comfort reads, memorable books (books that were highly ranked but not memorable got downgraded) and frequent re-reading.  This bumped up favorites and dropped others rather far down the list.  I also adjusted grades if I'd found them less satisfactory the second or third time around.  This left me with a much smaller list of straight A's and A+s which is a bit more accurate.   I put those first.  Then I ranked the A-s rather emotionally.  I had 15 spaces left so I went among the B+s and pulled out the top 15 then ranked those.  The final list has some pretty sharp rises and falls because of this change in ranking methodology.

This time around I also deleted books that weren't necessarily romances but snuck on the list last time due to their classic nature + some small romantic thread.  So gone are These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder and The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare.  Among others.  If they weren't romances and I hadn't read them lately to verify fantabulousness, they didn't make this list.


Title
 Author
2007 Rank
2004 Rank
Diff. +/-
Comments
The Windflower   Laura London1
1
1
0
Very nearly the perfect book.  Fantastically plotted and full of wonderfully nuanced characters.  Also v. clever and funny throughout.  A+ 
The Shadow and the Star*
 Laura Kinsale 2
3
+1 

Love this book more every time I read it.  Maybe if I read it two or three more times before the next poll, it will hit #1.  We'll see.


The Bronze Horseman
Paullina Simons
3
2
-1

  

Simply Irresistible*
Rachel Gibson
4
9

+5 

My ultimate comfort book - makes me happy each and every time I read it. 
Archangel! Sharon Shinn
5
15
+10
Fantastic book with a super romantic ending. And the heroine's name is Rachel to boot! 
To Have and To Hold **
 Patricia Gaffney
6
8
+2

Not for the faint of heart or easily troubled reader, but this is a wonderful story of survival and redemption for those willing to wade in.  Another great Rachel heroine.  

Till the Stars Fall   Kathleen Gilles Seidel
7
13
+6
Quinn and Krissa, the Cinnamon Haired Girl.  Sigh. 
Heaven, Texas
 Susan Elizabeth Phillips
8
14
+6
Another guaranteed mood lifter.  I re-read this one on my second (adoption) trip to Russia for the distraction.  It worked.  Amazingly.
Second Helpings!
 Megan McCafferty
9
23
+14
Marcus Flutie.  Again and again and again.
Bliss  
Judy Cuevas
10
11
+1
Why, WHY, is Nardi so appealing?   
Fifteen
 Beverly Cleary
11
4
-7
Stan Crandal.  My first fictional love. 
The American Duchess   
Joan Wolf
12
7
-5
 
Bitten!
 Kelley Armstrong
13
18
+5
Here's another uber alpha hero with impulse control problems.  One of my favorite combos. 
Truly, Madly Yours **
 Rachel Gibson 14
12
-2
 
The Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman    Louise Plummer
15
26
+11
 
Morning Glory
 LaVyrle Spencer
16

-11
  
The first time I read Morning Glory, I was blown away by it; it was almost a perfect read.  However, my last re-read was not as successful.  Still a great book and very touching, but not more than a low A/A-. 
Make a Joyful Noise in A Regency Christmas Carol  Carla Kelly
17
56
+39  
When Love Isn't Enough  
Kathleen Gilles Seidel
18
29
+11
 
The Lady's Companion  Carla Kelly
19
36

+17 

 

Companions of the Night
 Vivian Vande Velde
20
35 +15
 
Lady Gallant **

Suzanne Robinson
21
24 +3
Alpha-jerk hero + groveling done right = a winner. 
Everyday Average Jones
 Suzanne Brockmann22 32
+10
My favorite Brockmann.  This one set me on a major glom.
This Lullaby!
 Sarah Dessen
23
31 +8
Dexter.  Sigh.  Love him. 
Still Life with Murder   P.B. Ryan
24
63 +39
 
A Place to Call Home   Deborah Smith
25
21 -4
APTCH is another one that hit me in the feelings' plexus the first time around, but upon re-read I have a hard time overlooking how anti-climatic the last third of the book is.  Still, Roanie and Claire are one of my favorite couples.
Untie My Heart*
 Judith Ivory
26
77
+51 A bad, bad boy gets his comeuppance.  Sort of.  This one was controversial.  I loved it. 
Behind Closed Doors  Shannon McKenna
27
83 +56
Behind Closed Doors is this list's only Guilty Pleasure (& probably the hottest book here).  It's not compulsively re-readable like many of the others, but I love the hero's combination of obsession with the heroine and inability to control his impulses.  
Regency Sting*
 Elizabeth Mansfield
28
19 -9
A favorite of my teenage years. 
Flowers from the Storm*
 Laura Kinsale
29
17 -12
Flowers is technically a far superior book to, say, #4 Simply Irresistible.  But the last time I read it I realized that, no matter how interesting and complex this book was, it doesn't resonate emotionally with me until the very end, at the Quaker meeting house scene.  Plus, all of Jervaulx's late in the book spending makes me the tightwad in me tense and nervous.
Summers at Castle Auburn
 Sharon Shinn 30
41
+11
 
Crazy for You  Jennifer Crusie
31
30
-1
Look how this one held steady.  This is not a perfect book, but it's my favorite Crusie.  Fleetwood Mac - LOL. 
Kiss an Angel**
 Susan Elizabeth Phillips
32
20 -12
 
The Sea Wife**
 Holly Cook
33
52
+19
Not as strong the second time around as the gasp! plot twist requires a fresh reader, but still compulsively enjoyable.  And, let's face it, I love Machiavellian alpha jerks.   What happened to Holly Cook?
The Princess Diaries The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
Meg Cabot
34
54 +20
 
Losing It Losing It by Beverly Sommers
Beverly Sommers
35
43 +8
Clever, unique, funny and fresh he said/she said book.   With every run-of-the-mill category romance I read this one seems more outstanding.
Miss Whittier Makes a List
Carla Kelly
36
66 +30
The first Kelly book I loved. 
Blood and Chocolate   Annette Curtis Klause
37
51 +14
Gabriel.  Rooooorrrrwww. 
Beloved Stranger
Beloved Stranger by Joan Wolf
Joan Wolf
38
10 -28
This book probably ties for most re-reads, I've read it so many times since I was a teenager.  The last time I read it, though, it  annoyed me how much Ricardo didn't feel he had to help around the house or with baby Ricky.  Been there, done that and don't find it so romantic anymore.   
Libby's London Merchant  Carla Kelly
39
28 -11
I don't like love triangles, but I did love this book.   
Mirrors and Mistakes   
Kathleen Gilles Seidel
40
46 +6
 
The Wallflower  Jan Freed
41
86 +45
I have never re-read this book, but gave it a straight A the first time around.  Since I'm unsure of what that combo means in terms of overall book quality, The Wallflower gets stuck in the middle here.
Get Lucky
 Suzanne Brockmann
42
N/A
N/A
Didn't make the 2004 list - surprising.  I remember this one fondly.
Dead until Dark
 Charlaine Harris
43
27 -16
I liked this book better before I read most of the rest of the series.  I could cry for the havoc Harris wreaked upon Vampire Bill.
The Prisoner   
Cheryl Reavis
44
81
+37
I'm going on the original ranking here, because I haven't re-read this one.  Henceforth, this will be referred to as HNRR for Have Not Re-read.
The Perilous Gard   Elizabeth Marie Pope
45
67
+22
 
Constance
 
Patricia Clapp
46
38 -12
 
One Good Turn  Carla Kelly
47
45 -2
 
Over the Edge
 Suzanne Brockmann
48
53
+5
 
Again  
Kathleen Gilles Seidel
49
71 +22
 
Heart of Gold  Sharon Shinn
50
N/A N/A
 
The Proposition   Judith Ivory
51
55 +4
 
A Rush of Wings   

Kristen Heitzmann 

52
92 +40
 
The Still of Night  
Kristen Heitzmann
53
96 +43
 
Passing Fancies  
Elizabeth Mansfield
54
44 -10
 
Hold on Tight   
Deborah Smith
55
74 +19
HNRR. 
Princess in Love   Meg Cabot
56
91 +35
 
Seize the Fire**
Seize the Fire by Laura Kinsale
Laura Kinsale
57
N/A N/A
This is a great book, but not for when you don't feel like crying until you puke. 
Summer's End   Kathleen Gilles Seidel
58
37 -21
 
Sloppy Firsts!
 Megan McCafferty
59
33
-26
This one could have fit in anywhere in the middle of this list.  It's very good, but ends kind of badly.  This didn't mar my enjoyment because I read the second book immediately after.  But still. 
Bodyguard  Suzanne Brockmann60
79

+19

HNRR.  But again, hero with impulse control problems.  Love that.
George and the Virgin   Lisa Cach61
73 +12
HNRR.  In its favor, this book improved my mood right in the middle of some serious infertility crap.
The Truth about Forever  
Sarah Dessen 62
42 +20
 
Whose Baby?  
Janice Kay Johnson
63
57 -6
HNRR.  Johnson's given me enough enjoyment though, that she deserves to have at least one book on this list.
Heartless  Mary Balogh
64
60 -4
This is on this list for old time's sake.  I love, love, loved it when I first read it.  Now I don't even know if I could rank it appropriately given how many Balogh titles I've read and how I can't seem to mentally separate them.
The Last of the Honky Tonk Angels   Marsha Moyer
65
25 -40
I'm silently including The Second Coming of Lucy Hatch in this title.  They're really one long book in two titles anyway.
Welcome to Temptation  Jennifer Crusie
66
22 -44
This is a hard one.  WTT borders on being a guilty pleasure, and while I think it's very well written, in terms of character and theme, very few of the players, outside of Phin and Sophie, are actually likable.
The Little Lady Agency *
Hester Browne
67
N/A N/A
 
Marrying Stone  
Pamela Morsi
68
75 +7
HNRR.
Sunshine and Shadow  
Sharon and Tom Curtis
69
47 -22
Another get-out-the-kleenex book.  Not for readers looking for fluffy and light. 
Mr. Maybe  
Jane Green
70
80 +10
HNRR. 
Bet Me

Jennifer Crusie
71
93 +22
 
Prospect Street 
Emilie Richards
72
82 +10
HNRR. 
All American Girl

Meg Cabot
73
78 +5
 
Billy Bob Walked Got Married
Billy Bob Walker Got Married by Lisa G. Brown
Lisa G. Brown
74
72 -2
HNRR. 
Just Listen  Sarah Dessen
75
N/A N/A
 
Reforming Lord Ragsdale 
Carla Kelly
76
N/A N/A
 
Gaudy Night
Dorothy L. Sayers
77
N/AN/AYou have to read the full series to get the effect here, but if you make the effort, it's really something.
Maybe This Time 
Kathleen Gilles Seidel
78
87
+9
HNRR.
Redeeming Love 
Francine Rivers
79N/A N/A
Heartwrenchingly sad, but well done. 
Streets of Fire  Streets of Fire by Judith Duncan
Judith Duncan
80
97 +17
HNRR. 
It Came upon a Midnight Clear 
Suzanne Brockmann
8190 +9
 
Harvard's Education 
Suzanne Brockmann
8289 +7
 
High Stakes  High Stakes by Dana Warren Smith
Dana Warren Smith2
83N/A N/A
HNRR. 
The Gorgon in the Cupboard in To Weave a Web of Magic  Patricia McKillip
84
N/A N/A
 
The Christmas Ornament in A Regency Christmas
Carla Kelly
85N/A N/A
 
The Time Traveler's Wife   Audrey Niffenegger
86
84
-2
Warning: does not have a traditional HEA, but this couple is one of my top 5, probably for sheer meant-to-be-togetherness. 
Match Me If You Can  Susan Elizabeth Phillips
87
N/A
N/A
 
Katherine
Anya Seton
88
N/A
N/A
 
The Monk Downstairs   Tim Farrington
89
98
+9
 
Touch Not the Cat   Mary Stewart
90
N/A
N/A
 
The Dream Hunter!
 Laura Kinsale
91
 59-32 Readers harsh on Zenia all the time, but I had such sympathy for her.  Sometimes you just can't control all of your anxiety. 
Love Comes Softly   
Janette Oke
92
99 +7
A favorite from girlhood.   
A Debt of Honour   
Diana Brown
93
64
-29  
Sweet Everlasting   Patricia Gaffney
94
48
-46  
Rachel LeMoyne  Eileen Charbonneau
95
61
-34  
Simple Jess
 
Pamela Morsi
96
68
-28  
If Andy Warhol Had a Girlfriend  Alison Pace
97
N/A
N/A
 
The Boyfriend School   Sarah Bird
98
58
-40
 
Kiss Your Prince Charming   Jennifer Greene
99
65
-34
 
Miranda Blue Calling   Michelle Curry Wright
100
N/A
N/A
 

1. Sharon and Tom Curtis

2. Lisa G. Brown

*        denotes prim/proper heroine

**     denotes alpha jerk hero

!        denotes prickly heroine

 

 

tags:        




1. Kristie(J) left...
Thursday, 18 October 2007 6:49 pm :: http://kristiej.blogspot.com/

Very Impressive :) I'm about half way done mine and I noticed on your list a couple I need to add to mine. We do have a number of books the same :)


2. AAR Rachel left...
Thursday, 18 October 2007 7:20 pm :: http://grerp.blog-city.com/

I'll look forward to seeing your ballot, Kristie, and which books we have in common. :)


3. CindyS left...
Thursday, 18 October 2007 9:36 pm

"This is a great book, but not for when you don't feel like crying until you puke."

Okay, I soooo don't like puking! Obviously have not read Seize the Fire and I'm wondering if I could.

Like you I am wondering if I should be including books from so long ago that I wouldn't know how they would affect me now. I did put in a few Garwoods that I remember loving (if I can remember the plot and I loved it the last time I read it then I put it in). Right now I'm just pulling titles out and listing them (making notes as to which titles are better within the author) - again, my horrible memory with titles has me looking back through some of my blogs but I really need to find the book journal I used to use before I started blogging. I keep looking at the list and thinking 'I know I'm missing something'. Luckily I still have over half the slots left. Then I'll just have to arrange them.

I wish I had the last ballot I put in - I know I saved it but with the transfer to a new computer, and an entire house move, I have no clue where it could be. So I'm thinking my ballots will be radically different ;)

CindyS


4. Janine left...
Friday, 19 October 2007 11:42 pm :: http://www.dearauthor.com

Thanks for posting this; it's giving me a lot of ideas of books to try. Not that my TBR pile isn't big enough already! :) I counted 17 books on your Top 100 that are also on my Top 100 (as my list is now -- I may still change it if I read something I really love soon). That's pretty high, considering that there are a whopping 62 books on your list that I haven't read. Some I have no interest in reading, but many I have a lot of interest in, but just haven't gotten to.


5. AAR Rachel left...
Sunday, 21 October 2007 8:19 am :: http://grerp.blog-city.com/

You're welcome! It was a labor of love, all of those links and pictures. :) The kind of mindless grunt work I used to enjoy and have more time for. I'll look forward to seeing YOUR list.