In 2000, our readers loved….
Twenty years ago, these are the books AAR readers picked as the best of the year….
(a column from March 1, 2001)
2001 Annual Reader Poll
(For 2000 Releases)
Post to the Potpourri Message Board
Best Romance Novels
- Favorite Romance of the Year :– Winter Garden by Adele Ashworth
- Honorable Mention :– Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie
- Favorite Funny :– The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
- Honorable Mentions :–Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie , Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard
- Most-Hanky Read :– The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann
- Honorable Mentions :– Winter Garden by Adele Ashworth , Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas
- Most Luscious Love Story :– A Secret Love by Stephanie Laurens
- Honorable Mention :– Winter Garden by Adele Ashworth
- Favorite Cabin or Road Romance :– Winter Garden by Adele Ashworth
- Honorable Mentions : – A Game of Chance by Linda Howard , First Lady by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
- Favorite Medieval Romance :– By Arrangement by Madeline Hunter
- Favorite Regency Romance :– A tie between :- A Grand Design by Emma Jensen , Falling for Chloe by Diane Farr
- Favorite European Historical Romance :– Winter Garden by Adele Ashworth
- Honorable Mentions :– Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas , A Secret Love by Stephanie Laurens , The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
- Favorite American or Western Historical Romance :– I Do, I Do, I Do by Maggie Osborne
- Honorable Mention :– Never Love a Cowboy by Lorraine Heath
- Favorite Contemporary Romance :– Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie
- Honorable Mentions :- The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann , Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard
- Favorite Series/Category Romance :– Get Lucky by Suzanne Brockmann
- Favorite Romantic Suspense : – Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard
- Favorite “Other” Romance : – The Star King by Susan Grant
- Honorable Mentions :– Dark Magic by Christine Feehan , Dark Challenge by Christine Feehan
Best Characters
- Most Tortured Hero :– Michel Des Anges from Robin Schone’s The Lover
- Honorable Mentions :– Thomas Blackwood from Adele Ashworth’s Winter Garden , Gregori from Christine Feehan’s Dark Magic
- Feistiest Heroine :– Jaine from Linda Howards’ Mr. Perfect
- Favorite Hero :– Roarke from J.D. Robb’s Judgment In Death and Witness In Death
- Favorite Heroine :– Eve from J.D. Robb’s Judgment In Death and Witness In Death
- Honorable Mentions :–Kate Sheffield from Julia Quinn’s The Viscount Who Loved Me , Syd Jameson from Suzanne Brockmann’s Get Lucky
- Favorite Couple :– Eve and Rourke from J.D. Robb’s Judgment In Death and Witness In Death
- Favorite Villain :– Colin from Linda Howard’s Mr. Perfect
- Honorable Mention :– Lord Carr from Connie Brockway’s McClairen’s Isle: The Ravishing One
- Most Annoying Lead Character :– Zanita from Dara Joy’s High Intensity
- Favorite New Author :– Madeline Hunter
- Favorite Buried Treasure/New Discovery :– Suzanne Brockmann
- Honorable Mentions :– Adele Ashworth , Gaelen Foley , Kathryn Shay
- Author Most Glommed (collected during 2000) :– Suzanne Brockmann
Worst of the Year
- Author You Gave Up On :– Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick
- (Dis-)Honorable Mention :- Catherine Coulter
- Author Others Love that You Don’t :– Nora Roberts
- (Dis)-Honorable Mention :- Danielle Steel
- Most Disappointing Read :– High Intensity by Dara Joy
- Worst Read :– High Intensity by Dara Joy
- Purple-est Prose :– The Lover by Robin Schone