My question would be just how many Amazon.com editors are there and how to they come up with this list? I never agree with it. Is it just me?
Amazon.com Editors’ Top Ten Picks: Romance
1. The Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs. I haven’t read this in fact I have only read her historical novels. Interesting thing to note December’s Romantic Times says she would like to do more historicals. ::crosses fingers::
2. Lover Revealed is “feeling” second place. Yup, yup… Butch and Marissa 4 evah. So does that mean no Lover Unbound? Wonder when the cut off was maybe they don’t like ghosts either?
3. Lisa Kleypas’ Mine Till Midnight. This sort of surprises me. I very much enjoyed the book but it isn’t her best. A spot on the top 10 – yes. But I would have put it around 5 I think.
4. You sooooooooooo knew it would be here… High Noon by Nora Roberts. I am surprised it is as low as 4. And even more surprised there is no Robb or Blood Brothers. Although to be honest if I had to pick out of the three I would go for the contemporary.
The rest of the list I found rather odd…
5. Not Quite A Lady by Loretta Chase I haven’t read yet. And I have heard good thinks about it. But do you guys who have read it think it rats 5 out of the top 10 romances of 2007? I know Lawson loved it but did tell us, did you love it THAT much?
6. Causing Havoc by Lori Foster. I am a fan and don’t know what the heck this is doing here. Really Simon Says was better than Causing Havoc. And this wasn’t a bad book at all (sez the Lori Foster Fan… shush taramarie, speaking of where the hell is she?) but it wasn’t in the top ten of 2007.
7. McKettrick’s Heart by Linda Lael Miller. This I can see placing on the list but again don’t think it would have made MY top ten. IIRC it was the best of the three.
8. Highlander Untamed by Monica McCarty. Now I think Monica is a doll and I love the fact that historicals are here but again this isn’t even the best of her work for this year. And there were some great historicals, not everyone can fit into 10.
9. Midnight Awakening by Lara Adrian. This hasn’t been released yet, and the placing almost makes me want to read it today to see if she suddenly did something amazing with this series. It hasn’t been bad and it is entertaining but top 10 of 2007? No. Was this their way of feeling in where Lover Unbound would have gone if it had been better?
10. Force of Nature by Suzanne Brockmann. Alicia just reviewed this and said it was great. I adored Suzanne Brockmann’s Harlequin SEALs. So I will agree with Alicia and say this one is a good one. 😉
Where is If His Kiss Is Wicked by Jo Goodman! Where is The Serpent Prince?!? Where is Driven?!? le sigh… Regardless, this list is better than the Customers’ Favorites. And we wonder why publishers are trying to kill us with the paranormal.
How would you change the list? Or do you think it is perfect as is?
Yep, I’d put Not Quite A Lady on a top 10 list, but not above maybe 7. It was good, but maybe not #5 good.
I would agree Lover Revealed’s in there somewhere, #2? I don’t know.
Not quite a lady -was a tad boring, certainly not compared with the fantastic Mr. Impossible about the brother Rupert, so I don’t think it should even be there.
Highlander Untamed, I must be the only person who didn’t like this book. The heroine was TSTL, the hero was so over the top alpha and the continuing description of how beautiful they both were made me want to throw up. Could have just been me, I can’t stand the typical “deception” plot device she used.
I’ve always wondered if “sales” factored into Amazon’s list. Because honestly, I think all of these titles probably sold very well for them. The only surprise on that front would be Monica McCarty’s book, given that it is her debut, but then again it’s a Scottish historical. I always hear how that setting is insanely popular among readers, but the market never seems to get flooded with them.
And I so hope Wiggs comes back to historicals, even if it is only on a part-time basis. But from what I’ve seen (just looking at library stats) her contemporary/women’s-fictiony stuff is doing very, very well.
1. The Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs. I haven’t read this one and it’s not in my TBR.
2. Lover Revealed by J.R.Ward. This was very good. Definitely in my top 10.
3. Lisa Kleypas’ Mine Till Midnight. Haven’t read it yet.
4. High Noon by Nora Roberts. This was also very good.
5. Not Quite A Lady by Loretta Chase. Not even in my TBR
6. Causing Havoc by Lori Foster. Good lord. WHAT is this doing in a top 10? Top 100, maybe. (Sorry Lori – just my $0.02)
7. McKettrick’s Heart by Linda Lael Miller. Haven’t read it, but would like to read the whole series.
8. Highlander Untamed by Monica McCarty. In my TBR but pretty far down there.
9. Midnight Awakening by Lara Adrian. This looks interesting.
10. Force of Nature by Suzanne Brockmann. Haven’t read it, but I think it’s in my TBR.
My list would be dramatically different.
HUH? Number 2 and 3 I agree with, well actually I would thinkg Lover Revealed would be number one. Mine Til Midnight I just finished reading and IMO it is one of the best reads for 2007.
But Highland Untamed and Midnight Awakening??? Does not make sense.
Again, my idea of what books should be in the top ten are off, but that’s just me 🙂
BTW, No Cl Wilson? No Meljean Brook? Lisa Marie Rice, Sarah Mccarthy??
And I thought the AAR top 100 list was bad..
No Nalini either. Wieners.
The only two that I agree with on the list are Lover Revealed and Not Quite a Lady. I’m not sure that I would have ranked either of them quite that high though. There are a couple I have not read yet, so I’ll have to check those out. 🙂
Jo Goodman’s If His Kiss Is Wicked should definitely be on that list!! Love, love, love that book!
Considering that I haven’t read most of the books on the list, perhaps I’m out of touch? NAH!!
No way would I have rated Lover Revealed at #2. It was okay but would not make my top 10. Nor would Mine Til Midnight which, while a fine read, did not live up to it’s potential in my view. I’m okay with Not Quite a Lady’s rank. It’s certainly in my top ten. And I have to agree with that exclusions of If His Kiss is Wicked and The Serpent Prince make no sense (didn’t read Driven but have heard positive buzz about it). Personally I think Laura Lee Guhrke’s And Then He Kissed Her should have made the list, perhaps Anne Stuart’s Ice Blue, Lisa Marie Rice’s Dangerous Lover and, though many will throw things, Anna Campbell’s Claiming the Courtesan to sheer Chutzpah in a debut!
Trish – you’re right. CtC at least deserved the mention in the top 10. It was a pretty bold, and very good book.
I guess I’m going to have to read IHKiW. I think I have it somewhere around here.
Driven by by far the best romance I’ve read this year.
I’ll take that list with a (cup) of salt!For me, only one from the list rates a possible re-read. Driven, Singh’s Visions of Heat, or Brook’s Demon Moon would be wrecked from my re-reads to date if I weren’t so careful with my books.
I did like Not Quite a Lady a lot, but not in my top 10, also Driven was very good. Mine Till Midnight still have to read.
Now definitely I agree on If His Kiss is Wicked – that’s at the top of my top ten for this year so far – and on C.L. Wilson Hoyt. Nalini is also in my top ten for sure.
Glancing through those lists (Amazon, BN) at times over the years to see if there was something really good I missed and should check further,I’ve never found my top reads in them for the most part, so I don’t go buy them anymore.
I’m scratching my head over that list too. I’ve only read two on it, ‘Mine til Midnight and High Noon. And yes indeed! Where was Goodman, Hoyt or any other good authors?
Trish — totally agree with LLG’s And Then He Kissed Her. Fantastic read.
I also thought Heartsick by Chelsea Cain would also be in the top 10 because of the buzz it got.
And what about Eclipse by Meyer???? It sold 150,000 its first day of release!
Heartsick is in the top 10 of the Top 100 which of course has nooooooooo romance novels in it.
I’d be hard-pressed to call Heartsick a romance. Sick and twisted, yes. Romance? No. It should be on their mystery/suspense list though cuz it just rocked my socks. And that’s all that matters 😉 Meyer would probably land on their YA list – if they have such a thing….
LOL, it is still on Amazon’s Top 100 Books. I think 6? or something… that was yesterday so I could be wrong.
DOH! Heartsick would be pretty sick romance wise! LOL
Sybil, you are so wise. 🙂
I feel like such a n00b. I haven’t read any of these, except Lover Revealed which I started today. Clearly, I need to start in on more books that actually got published this year *G*.
I’m stunned at both Lori Foster’s entry and LL Miller’s. No way they are top 10s. I agree with consensus…Nalini Singh should be there, Elizabeth Hoyt and most certainly DEMON MOON by Meljean Brook. That was my personally highest rated book this year. I also had DIRTY and BROKEN by Megan Hart as good reads.