As an author, I’ve grown to find out that many people are curious about the contents of my library. At any given moment, you can find me with my nose in a book (yes, I still prefer the hard copies to the electronic versions) and if not, I’m working on one of my own, whether it be writing, editing, or some cover design.
Being a writer of Erotic Romance, you would naturally expect me to have a vast collection of the genre… and you would be right! But what you might not realize is that my favorites to read happen to be more of the suspense, thriller, crime, and murder mystery variety. Unfortunately, I haven’t read much of the latter but I can definitely say that I’ve indulged in some of the former!
So here’s a few of my most recent favorite reads. Luckily, they all pertain to a series of some form and thus will leave you with loads to indulge in over the next little while.
Kristen Ashley’s Rock Chick series:
If you like a strong female protagonist that has just enough softness to her “rock” hard edges, and men that are even harder, then this series is for you!
Ashley’s Rock Chick series is comprised of 8 well-written novels that will make you want to check out what else this author has in store. If you’re thinking that the name of the series alludes to women in music, the roadie romance, the scarred lead singer in a band, then you’d be wrong! In this series, you’ll find action, suspense, romance and very well-constructed heated scenes. It’s not what I would label as hard core but with Ashley’s work, it doesn’t need to be.
Each character has her own book. Suffice to say, you’ll love the many different ways this wide cast of characters interact, the way the women find trouble, and the kickass ways they get out of said trouble. Did anyone say taser? With the Rock Chicks, I found myself laughing one minute, swooning the next, and holding onto the edge of my seat, unable to stop reading because I simply had to find out what happened next. If your looking for perfect and “cookie cutter” type characters, you won’t find them in Ashley’s works and this is one of the things I love the best about her writing. None of the characters are perfect. They are all flawed people–realistic–trying to make the best of what life’s handed to them. It’s what makes you fall harder for the cast, keeps you riveted, you curse out loud, grow impatient, laugh, cringe, melt, and… need I say it… makes you want more?
After eight books, it was a bittersweet ending to this wonderful series but what’s better, is that Kristen Ashley goes one step further and brings back a few characters in others of her series’! Sometimes, just a mention… others, cameos… not to mention, a new series can be borne too!
Lorelei James’ Rough Riders series:
Who never liked a sexy cowboy, or two, or… who am I kidding? Three sexy cowboys make it through in the debut novel to this series but only one gets the girl! With eleven, that’s right, eleven books to choose from (trust me, you want to read them all), this slightly more explicit author will have your senses reeling, your hand fanning your face as your temperature rises, and rest assured, you’ll be thoroughly entertained.
James’ way with words may lead to explicit scenes but she succeeds at achieving this as well as making you fall in love with each and every character without sounding crass. It’s a romance with a story, featuring the members of the McKay family boys and their extended family (the McKay & West cousins) and friends. The characters have their flaws and I’ve been so submersed in each book that at times, I felt like reaching through my e-reader and delivering a smack to the back of a head, once or twice, or a million!
If you’re looking for heat, sweet, funny, and lovable, you’ve found it with Lorelei James’ “rough” riding cowboys (oh, and cowgirls get their stories too!). Don’t kid yourself, it’s not all about the ranch or the rodeo circuit with this series… but those inclusions sure as hell don’t hurt one bit! After all, with a title like Cowgirl Up & Ride, wouldn’t you be a little curious to know what James’ play on words really entail?
