Meet Reviewer Tess Vanbroekhuizen About Me Favorite Romance Novels

As a teenager, I was one of those people who would go to bookstores a few times a week. If there was an author there signing books, I would pick up a signed copy, even if the book didn’t interest me at all (who knows what it could be worth in the future!). One day, Suzanne Enoch, who is now one of my favorite authors, was signing books. Of course I picked up a copy. I went home and when I began to read I realized that the first scene was very sexually graphic. I had never read anything like that, so I blushed, put down the book, and forgot about it. A few years later, I took a class in college about the “Romantic hero.” We read classics but also a few modern romances. So after reading a Danielle Steel book and 2 Harlequin Presents books I was hooked! I couldn’t believe what I had been missing all these years! I went home, grabbed my old-yet-unread copy of the Suzanne Enoch book I had previously rejected and I have been insatiable ever since!

Today, I am living in downtown Los Angeles with my boyfriend and my cat Nala. As we have a small apartment, my ever-increasing collection of romance novels takes up quite a bit of room. When not reading or reviewing for AAR, I enjoy meeting new people, going out to bars and restaurants in LA, watching good movies, listening to loud music, drinking large amounts of coffee, and discussing romance novels with other addicts!

Absolute Favorites

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

Favorite Classic

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Personal Reading Tastes Favorites by Sub-Genre

What I’m a sucker for in a book:

Worldly and experienced heroines, exotic locales, regency era house parties

What I don’t particularly care for in a book:

The hero and heroine parting in the middle of the book for a long period of time,

What drives me absolutely nuts in a book:

Unreasonable jealously, meddling relatives

Favorite Romance Authors

All-Time Favorite Romance Authors

Lisa Kleypas
Suzanne Enoch
Karen Marie Moning
Toni Blake
Madeline Hunter

Best Discovery/Buried Treasure Authors

Bonnie Dee

My Biggest Glom

Karen Marie Moning
Lisa Kleypas

 

Frontier or American Historical:

For the Roses by Julie Garwood

European Historical:

And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke

Traditional Regency:

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

Contemporary

Perfect by Judith McNaught

Category Romance

The Greek’s Convenient Wife by Melanie Milburne

Medieval:

By Arrangement by Madeline Hunter
By Design by Madeline Hunter

Alternate Reality:

The Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning

Favorite Characters Favorites by Plot Type

Favorite Hero

Sebastian, Viscount St. Vincent from Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

Favorite Heroine

MacKayla Lane from Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning

Strongest Heroine

MacKayla Lane from Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning

Most Tortured Hero

Jericho Barrons from Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning

Favorite Couple

Sebastian and Evie from Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

Best Villain

Sebastian St Vincent from Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas (Mainly because his redemption is the best!)

Cabin or Road:

Perfect by Judith McNaught

Romantic Suspense:

The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning

Funny:

What Happens in London by Julia Quinn

Sexy:

Passion by Lisa Valdez

Favorites by Mood

Comfort Reads:

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
London’s Perfect Scoundrel by Suzanne Enoch
England’s Perfect Hero by Suzanne Enoch

Guilty Pleasure:

Passion by Lisa Valdez

Least-Favorites

Most Disappointing Books

Love Only Once by Johanna Lindsey

Worst Book

Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale (I know everyone loves this book but I can’t stand it!)

Authors I Have Given Up On

Christina Dodd

Authors Others Love That I Don’t

Mary Balogh
Stephanie Laurens
Johanna Lindsey

Non-Romance Favorites

Favorite Classic Novel

Candide by Voltaire

Favorite Author

JD Salinger
John Steinbeck
Wally Lamb

Favorite Book

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Favorite Mystery

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Favorite Women’s Fiction

Anything by Jane Green

Favorite YA Book

The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

Favorite SF/Horror/Fantasy

Pet Sematary by Stephen King
The Shining by Stephen King

Book Most Often Re-Read

The entire Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

Search our reviews database by Title or Author by Titleby Author’s Last Nameby Author’s First Name Do a more in-depth review search via Power Search

Use Freefind to locate other material at the site  

< script language = “javascript”type=”text/javascript”>

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved