Happy Friday, BookishFirst Readers!
What was the first romance novel that you remember reading and falling in love with?
P.S. Come chat about your love for romance novels as part of our Romance Week here.
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I’m not usually a romance reader, The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren made start picking up adult romance last year. I received the arc on netgalley and devoured it on sitting. In the past, as a young reader I used to read Morgan Matson and Sarah Dessen.
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The Kiss Quotient! I read that one and the sequel following it and it led to me to picking up other adult romance titles.
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The Arcane Society series by Jayne Ann Krentz. I’m a huge mystery reader, and these fantastic romantic suspense novels made me appreciate romance novels as well.
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I’m honestly not a romance reader, but I remember my very first bookish love, the one that really launched my book passion, which was a romance! Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier, wonderful and beautiful book. To this day the Sevenwaters series remains one of my top favorites
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Romance is 1 of the last genres I choose to read. Until I came across The Wedding Date series by Jasmine Guillory last year. Still not sure how I came across it, but I am happy I did!
I binged the ENTIRE series last year and it was so much fun!!! Since then I feel encouraged every now and then to read some romance. 
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The first romance novel I read was a Harlequin SuperRomance, I can’t remember the title now, I want to say it was called Twice the Temptation (late 80s/early 90s, back when the covers were still silver/grey with photo). I’ve just been a huge reader of romances ever since
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I’m going to say probably "Dear John " by Nicholas Sparks. Although I’ve found I love PNR, I have a soft spot for Spark’so books. 
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Does Pride and Prejudice count? Otherwise it’s Denise Hunter who got me started!
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I remember my grandma - who literally had a room stacked full of romance books - giving me Nora Roberts’ Midnight Bayou and me reading it in the car on a family vacation trip to Florida. It’s one of her romantic suspense books and I remember blasting through it and being so engrossed in the story, wondering where I could get more of these books when I finished. It’s one of the best memories I have of my grandma, something that, if she had lived a little longer, I think would have been something we could have bonded over more.
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The first book I read that made me fall in love with romance was Gone With the Wind. My Grandmother had a beautifully bound hardback copy that I must have read about 12 times.
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not showing heart Zoya Danielle Steele
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The real first book that made me a romance reader was The Proposal–I saw it EVERYWHERE and had to know more. But the one that really made me get it was The Unhoneymooners, quickly followed by Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean 
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I know it might sound cliche, but it was Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I picked it up during high school (not as required reading, mind you) and that book started it all. I also credit it for my love of romantic comedy and brooding heroes.
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It’s so hard to pin point the exact book because I definitely always gravitated towards books with romantic subplots. But my middle school years were filled with Pride and Prejudice and a lot of YA Paranormal Romance like Twilight and Vampire Academy. I definitely got into adult Romance with 50 Shades and more new adult books like Colleen Hoover and Cora Carmack.
What are some similar books to the Arcane Society? Love them but need more!
A Rose in Winter. By Kathleen Woodiwiss. Still have a tattered and worn copy of it. It was my very favorite romance. There are two more that fall a close second the King’s Brat and My Lady Benbrook by Constance Gluyas. Also have old copies of those books
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I don’t know of any other series like this. I’d like to find one too!
I don’t know that I can point to just one, but I used to really love reading those Sweet Dreams and First Love books from the 80’s when I was young. I went through a long period where I didn’t read a lot and then I happened to read The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata and that got me back into reading Romance. Now I read all kinds.
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While I rarely read straight romance anymore, it was a genre my Mom started my reading in with Nora Roberts and Danielle Steel. I do still go for romantic suspense from time to time like Lisa Jackson & I love the Darynda Jones Grave series!
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