Meet Reviewer Heather Brooks
About Me Personal Reading Tastes
I began reading romances in my early teens (I am in my early 30’s now). My mother was an avid reader of romance (I might have been named after The Flame and the Flower), so there were always books around. I continued sporadically through college, career, and, now, career with small children. I’ve learned to make time for reading. Last year, while out for summer break, I decided that I needed to venture out and read authors other than the ones I traditionally stick to. Since then I’ve been reading non-stop. I mainly read historicals, but I am now beginning to branch out into other genres of romance as well. I hate to admit this, but I will – I’ve never read Nora Roberts. I will correct this as soon as school is out for summer.
What I’m a sucker for in a book: Alpha males, heroes who realize their mistakes and have to come back begging, strong females leads who learn to depend on themselves, bad boys, tortured heros, Beauty-and-the-Beast stories, fairy tale themes, and forced marriages. I also love Medievals.
What I don’t particularly care for in a book: TSTL heroines, tomboys, heroines disguised as boys, mistresses, men who cheat, American frontier stories, ultra young heroines, huge age differences between the H/H, cross-class romances, heroines who don’t require enough groveling when hero has messed up, and couples who fight constantly and then fall in love.
What drives me absolutely nuts in a book: Ultra young heroines who fall in love with men in their 30’s, modern language in historical settings, and huge historical inaccuracies.
Favorites by Sub-Genre Favorite Romance Authors
Frontier or American Historical:
Triumph by Shannon Drake
European Historical:
The Duke by Gaelen Foley
Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh
Slightly Tempted by Mary Balogh
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
Medieval:
A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught
All-Time Favorite Romance Authors
Judith McNaught
Gaelen Foley
Best Discovery/Buried Treasure Authors
Judith Ivory
My Biggest Glom
Jo Beverley
Loretta Chase
Favorite Romance Novels
Absolute Favorites
The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
Favorite Classic
Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught
Favorite Characters Favorites by Plot Type
Favorite Hero
Wulfgar, The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
Favorite Heroine
Aislinn, The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
Jessica Trent, Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
Most Tortured Hero
Sebastian Ballister, Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
Simon Basset, The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
Strongest Heroine
Daphne Bridgerton, The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
Favorite Couple
Jessica Trent and Sebastian Ballister, Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
Best Villain
Charles Weldon, Silk and Shadows by Mary Jo Putney
Cabin or Road:
Something Wonderful by Judith McNaught
Funny:
Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
Sexy:
Lord of Sin by Gaelen Foley
Favorites by Mood
Comfort Reads:
The Prize by Julie Garwood
Most-Hanky Reads:
My Sweet Folly by Laura Kinsale
Guilty Pleasure:
Fire Song by Catherine Coulter
Least-Favorites
Most Disappointing Books
Shadowheart by Laura Kinsale
Worst Books
Reckless by Shannon Drake
Purple Prose-iest Book
A Rose in Winter by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
Authors I Have Given Up On
Johanna Lindsey
Authors Others Love That I Don’t
Laura Kinsale
Elizabeth Lowell
Lisa Kleypas
Most Annoying Lead Character
Fallon, Princess of Fire by Shannon Drake
Imogen Maitland, The Taming of the Duke by Eloisa James
Non-Romance Favorites
Favorite Author
Jane Austen)
Favorite Book
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
Favorite Classic Novel
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Favorite Nonfiction
The Wives of Henry VIII by David Starkey
The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw
Favorite Fantasy
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Favorite Women’s Fiction
Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
Favorite YA Book
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Favorite Set of Connected Books
Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
Book Most Often Reread
A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught
Once and Always by Judith McNaught