small town life

Today’s romance novels are not the bodice ripping, sex saturated, moaning and groaning, air head woman vs. chest beating man, empty stories of the 70’s and 80’s. Today’s romances have evolved to complex plots, with smart, savvy heroines and sensitive, flawed heroes. The old romance books had the domineering man “rescuing” the passive woman. Today you’ll find strong, independent women who sometimes do the “rescuing”. While most of today’s books have the “happily ever after ending”, some stories end up “happy for now”, or “satisfied with my live as is”. Most romances today don’t center around just the two main characters. You learn about their families and friends, the town they live in, the world around them. Today’s romance reader is smart, educated, thoughtful, and complex. Today’s romances run the gambit from historical England, to the wild American West, to the military, to small town life. They can be inspirational, suspenseful, other worldly and a whole host of subgenres – so many that everyone will be able to find the right fit for their reading pleasure. It is a bit deceiving to label a book “romance”, when it fits quite nicely as a “literary” novel. Below is a list of just a few of the romance subgenres.

Medieval
Historical (England, Scotland)
American Historical
Western (Contemporary)
Western (Historical)
Contemporary (Serious)
Contemporary (Humorous)
Suspense
Thriller
Military
Paranormal(Vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters)
Paranormal(Ghosts, witches)
Futuristic/Fantasy
Regency Romances
Victorian Romances
Inspirational(Historical)
Inspirational(Contemporary)
Erotic
Chick Lit
Romantic Mysteries

The Library has an excellent selection of mass market romance paperbacks located on the main level near the front windows.

Which is your favorite genre?

This is a beautifully written contemporary story of two strangers who meet in the middle of the night. A cliche? Yes. But, the story is anything but a cliche. This is book three of the Whiskey Creek series. It’s a little helpful to read them in order, but they can also stand alone. Whiskey Creek is a wonderful, small town where most of the residents were born and raised there. This series centers mainly on a group of high school friends now in their 30’s.

We are introduced to a professional photographer, Callie, who is in need of a liver transplant. She has decided to keep her illness from family and friends and has moved from town to the farm of her late grandparents to sort out what’s left of her life.

Levi McCloud is a former martial arts champion and military vet now turn drifter. His motorcycle breaks down not far from Callie’s farm. While pushing the bike, he is viciously attacked by two dogs and seeks help at Callie’s door.

It was very interesting to watch these two characters’ relationship develop. The author weaves a touching, emotional story about taking risks, forgiveness and letting your heart lead the way to a better life. I thought I was going to encounter an overused, worn story line with predictable scenes, but instead was totally drawn into a dramatic, believable story that I just couldn’t put down.