Listed below are the some of the all time best loved romance novels in contemporary settings. Those presented are compiled from various lists throughout the internet where readers voted for their all time favorite romances. Also included are those which received recognition the year of their publication.
Last Updates: 07/18/2008
BABY LOVE 10/1999. ISBN: 0380799375. Penniless, desperate and determined, Maggie Stanley grabs her small baby and runs into the snowy Idaho night, fleeing a dangerous, hurtful life. Now in her loneliest, blackest hour, a handsome, down-and-out stranger's compassion shines forth like a torch in the darkness, offering her the warmth and comfort she has always longed for but has never known. But though tenderness lives buried deep in Rafe Kendrick's heart -- and though Maggie sees a soul wounded like her own in the depths of his startlingly beautiful eyes -- she knows she must never, ever trust any man again. Rafe, however, is more than he seems -- an enigmatic man of secrets who could give Maggie the moon and stars, had he not solemnly vowed to spend the rest of his life alone. But sometimes, without warning, love can transform a cold, pitiless world into paradise. And a man who has lost nearly everything, a woman who has forgotten how to dream, and the helpless child who needs them both can truly become that most wondrous of creations: a family.
PHANTOM LOVE 7/2001. ISBN: 0451409892. One glance. That's all it takes. Wealthy rancher Ryan Kendrick falls hard -- and fast -- for lovely Bethany Coulter. A beguiling mix of sass and shyness, naivete and maturity, she shares his passion for horses, has a great sense of humor, and can light up a room with her beautiful smile. She's absolutely perfect -- in every way but one....A long-ago barrel-racing accident has left Bethany confined to a wheelchair. In the years since, she has known both betrayal and heartbreak -- and vowed never to open her heart to a man again. She has even accepted the possibility that she'll never be able to enjoy a healthy intimate relationship -- or have children of her own. But there's something about handsome Ryan Kendrick. Something that makes her believe she can overcome every obstacle. Something that makes her believe in lifelong, lasting love....
BE MY BABY 3/1999. ISBN: 0380795124. Prim and proper Juliet Rose Astor Lowell doesn't want her body guarded by anyone while she's in New Orleans for the grand opening of Daddy's new hotel -- especially not by consummate macho cop Beau Dupree. He's just too big, too pushy, too virile, too... everything! His shameless, hungry-eyed gaze shakes her carefully cultivated decorum like no one ever has, but Juliet is a Lowell -- and there's no way she's going to lose control! The lady is downright delectable, but Beau has more important things to do than babysit a beautiful Yankee rich girl. So he decides to get himself pulled off of the assignment by driving the oh-so-proper socialite beyond the bounds of her good-girl restraints. But who would have thought that real passion sizzled beneath Juliet's polish? When she lets her hair down, she just might prove to be more than enough woman to handle Beau -- but will he be able to handle her?
EXPOSURE 4/1996. ISBN: 0821764039. A tragic childhood and a doomed marriage have forced Emma Sands to do what she does best -- run. Now, she and her young daughter have arrived in Washington State's Port Flannery, a remote fishing village where no one knows who she is... or where she is going. Big-city cop turned small-town sheriff Elvis Donnelly is six and a half feet of bruising muscle and solid hurt. The victim of a violent boyhood and a brutal bomb blast, all he wants is to forget the past... until it suddenly comes calling. When Elvis and Emma meet, the attraction is instant -- and the passion all-consuming. But in a town of prying eyes, these two outsiders are soon sharing more than the heat of desire... they're sharing a fight for their lives.
BAREFOOT IN THE GRASS 1996. ISBN: 0373707150. A touching and often humorous look at living and loving in the nineties. By one of Harlequin's most popular romance writers. You'll laugh and cry with Beth Pendleton as she moves from big-city hustle and life-threatening problems to small-town serenity and small-town solutions. At least, that's the plan. But Ryan Walker and a not-so-small puppy take over her life and her heart in a very big way -- and turn them upside down.
WIFE FOR A DAY 8/1999. ISBN: 0380807351. The last thing millionaire rancher Jack Remington wanted was a wife. Hell, he'd just been dumped by his fiancée and was feeling rather relieved to no longer have a noose around his neck. But Jack had one huge problem -- he'd flown to ritzy Palm Beach to attend his baby sister's highfalutin' engagement ball and he'd promised her he'd be bringing his wife-to-be. There was no way Jack would let her down on the biggest night of her life. When a beguiling, flame-haired enchantress breezes into his hotel room with a tux and a seductive smile, Jack's sure all his troubles have come to an end. All he has to do is hire the beautiful tailor to masquerade as his fiancée. Samantha Jones is sure the sexy cowboy is out of his ever-lovin' mind. She's never been to a ball, never worn a fancy gown, and has no idea how to act like a socialite. She can't possibly pose as his wife-to-be, but....Just that morning Sam's life had gone from not so good to absolutely dismal. She'd been fired from her tailoring job at Antonio's For Men, and before the evening was over, the cops would probably be hot on her trail for "borrowing" the tux she was about to tailor for the gorgeous millionaire. On top of that, Johnnie "The Shark" Russo had been threatening to make her fish bait if she didn't pay back the money she'd borrowed. Suddenly Jack's offer sounded like something she couldn't refuse. Besides, it was only for one night....
MYSTERY LOVER 1988. ISBN: 0373085338. A desperate plea sent Jennifer Chisolm on a wild adventure... straight into the arms of her intriguing -- and infuriating -- protector. For years she'd wondered who her mysterious guardian was -- and now he was going to be her flesh-and-blood husband!
BLADES LADY 8/2000. ISBN: 0373270933 Her gallant "knight" was a fantasy -- or so Anna Tarrant believed. For years, he had sustained the hunted heiress whenever her nightmarish reality became too much to bear. Now, about to emerge from hiding to claim her fortune, Anna encountered her hero once again -- this time, in the flesh.... Though her cries for help invaded his sleep, Blade Lombard was never convinced Anna existed until she stood before him: beguilingly beautiful, chillingly imperiled. Driven by a connection he didn't understand, consumed by a need only she could fill, Blade was determined to protect his woman -- at any cost....
CULLEN'S LADY 3/1999. ISBN: 0373079141. Cullen hadn't planned to be in town long but his rescue of Rachel Sinclair set in motion events that would leave her pregnant and him offering marriage to a woman whose family had feuded with his for years. Sexy Cullen Logan thought he had no chance for a happy family -- until he met Rachel Sinclair. She was everything he'd ever wanted in a woman, and now she was about to have his child. Cullen knew that being a father was a full-time job, but given his dangerous past, was he qualified for the position? When Rachel Sinclair met former agent Cullen Logan, she was all too aware of his dark past. Soon, though, she was falling in love with him, reputation or no reputation. But Cullen wasn't so easy to convince, even once she announced she was pregnant -- with his child. Cullen knew that being with him was probably the most dangerous choice she could make. He also knew that the only honorable thing to do was marry her. But being around Rachel made Cullen all too aware that the only thing more dangerous than his past was the danger she posed to his heart.
HEART OF MIDNIGHT 12/1999. ISBN: 037307977X. For Special Air Service agent Gray Lombard, the past seven years had been a nightmare. Not only had he been unable to nab his brother's killer, he'd also lost Samantha Munro, the only woman he'd ever loved. Seven years ago they had shared their dreams -- and the same bed. But when Gray's mission took over his life, Sam had walked away.... Now Sam was back. Her life was in danger, thanks to her involvement with Gray, and losing her was not something he wanted to relive. But could he protect her from a dangerous killer -- and safeguard his heart from the secret she had yet to reveal?
MARRYING McCABE. 9/2000. ISBN: 0373271697. None of Roma Lombard's high-society friends knew anything about the mystery man who was suddenly everywhere the wealthy heiress went. And that was exactly the way she wanted it -- because her new "lover" was really her bodyguard, there to protect her from the killers who were stalking her.... Ben McCabe said they had to keep up this deadly charade -- by pretending to be married! The trouble was, the more time she spent with her devastatingly handsome protector -- day after fear-wracked day, night after passion-filled night -- the more she ached to make this "marriage" the real thing....
UNDERCOVER BRIDE 2000. ISBN: 0373270925. THE AGENT: Spirited, beautiful Rachel Grunwald. THE MISSION: Convince Caleb Carpenter, a man whose reputation was as devastating as his looks, that she should be his bride. THE SHOCKING TRUTH: Rachel can't keep from falling for this powerful, enigmatic man! Her assignment was to go undercover as Caleb Carpenter's intended bride -- even though her groom was a militant leader and alleged killer! Then her suitor showed her a taste of passion, and Rachel wondered how she could win her war against Caleb when she had already lost her heart?
ADMIRAL'S BRIDE. 11/1999. ISBN: 0373079621 His mission was to pretend that Zoe Lange, beautiful young scientist -- nearly half his age! -- was his new bride. Former Navy SEAL Jake Robinson was sure that his romantic years were behind him, but for God and for country he would look into Zoe's beautiful dark eyes, kiss her senseless, hold her as if he would never let her go... and then, when the job was done, do just that. The only problem was, with each hour in Zoe's company, the stakes were becoming higher. The game more real. And the dangers WITHIN their "honeymoon" chamber more and more apparent....
THE DEFIANT HERO. 3/2001. ISBN: 0804119538. A story of steadfast courage, intimate passions, and the profound risks that are taken in the name of love...."The United States refuses to negotiate with terrorists." Meg Moore remembered the warning from her job as a translator in a European embassy. Those same words will spell out a death sentence for her daughter and grandmother who have been kidnapped by a lethal group called the Extremists. Meg will do anything to meet their unspeakable demands; anything -- even kill -- to save her child. When Navy SEAL John Nilsson is summoned to Washington, D.C. by the FBI to help negotiate a hostage situation, the last person he expects to see holding a foreign ambassador at gunpoint is Meg. He hasn't seen her in years, but he's never forgotten how it feels to hold her in his arms. John could lose his career if he helps her escape. She will lose her life if he doesn't....
EVERDAY AVERAGE JONES 8/1998. ISBN: 0373078722. Melody Evans knew her affair with Cowboy Jones couldn't last. She was just a small-town girl looking for a small-town guy, and Cowboy Jones was the gritty navy SEAL who had saved her life. But seven months later, Melody was seven months pregnant... and Cowboy was back in town. When Melody Evans needed someone to rescue her, she knew that navy SEAL Harlan "Cowboy" Jones was just the man for the job. But afterward, when things got more intimate, she had to write it off to an adrenaline rush. After all, she was looking for an ordinary guy -- and Cowboy was anything BUT. Too bad their encounter left Melody with more than just memories. Then Cowboy paid Melody a surprise visit and saw her burgeoning belly. That did it -- he had to convince her that they were meant to be together! That he could be as ordinary as the next guy. And he'd do it, too -- even if it meant twenty-four-hours-a-day, hands-on contact....
FRISCO'S KID 1/1997. ISBN: 0373077599. Frisco Francisco's leg -- and career -- were shot, and he had every intention of wallowing in self-pity. But there were two complications with his plan: his five-year-old niece, whose sudden presence in his life added "daddy" to his resume, and his comely next-door-neighbor, who wouldn't take no for an answer. Teacher Mia Summerton knew that what Frisco really needed to do was focus on the positive. She was going to teach him what he could do. Was it possible that loving her was on the list?
FOREVER BLUE 1996. ISBN: 0373077424. For Lucy Tait, no one personified the word hero as much as Blue McCoy. As a child he was her self-appointed rescuer, and as a teenager, he was the boy who got away. Now he was back. But he was also a suspect in an unthinkable crime... and Lucy was the investigating officer! All evidence pointed to Blue McCoy as the prime suspect, and everyone in town thought he was guilty. So why was Lucy so convinced of his innocence? Was she swayed by the facts... or blinded by love?
GET LUCKY 3/2000. ISBN: 0373079915. An unlikely state of affairs. For Navy SEAL Lucky O'Donlon was the original love-'em-and-leave-'em guy. Used to women swooning at his feet. So how could it be that the adorably quick-witted and frustratingly attractive journalist Sydney Jameson seemingly had nothing to offer him -- but one very cold shoulder? Well, two could play at this game. But first things first -- he and Sydney had a job to do. They had to get their man. Then there would be time enough for him to get his woman....
HARVARD'S EDUCATION 10/1998. ISBN: 0373078846. Navy SEAL Senior Chief Petty Officer Harvard Becker was aghast when he found out he was being forced to work alongside alluring FEMALE agent P.J. Richards. To Harvard's amazement, his no-nonsense partner taught him a thing or two -- on and off the field. Could it be that Harvard had finally met his match? As a navy SEAL, Harvard had seen his share of trainees before, but P.J. Richards managed to pack more fire in her five-foot-two-inch body than all the men he'd ever worked with. And he couldn't help hoping for some more PERSONAL contact. One thing always-in-control P.J. Richards COULDN'T afford to do was let herself get sidetracked. Not now, when her goal was finally within reach. Unfortunately, so was Harvard -- every hard-muscled, pure-male, irresistible inch of him....
HEART THROB 3/1999. ISBN: 0449002551. The last thing movie producer Kate O'Laughlin wants to do is baby-sit her leading man, Jericho Beaumont, but she has no choice. Despite her better judgment, Kate's attraction flares into explosive passion, but is she being charmed by the real Jericho -- or the superstar who dazzles the world? Once voted the "Sexiest Man Alive," Jericho Beaumont had dominated the box office before his fall from grace. Now poised for a comeback, he wants the role of Laramie bad enough to sign an outrageous contract with top producer Kate O'Laughlin -- one that gives her the authority to supervise JB's every move, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The last thing Kate wants to do is baby-sit her leading man, and Jericho Beaumont may be more than she can handle. A player in every sense of the word, he is an actor of incredible talent -- and a man with a darkly haunted past. Despite her better judgment, Kate's attraction flares into explosive passion, and she is falling fast. But is she being charmed by the real Jericho or the superstar who dazzles the world?
IDENTITY UNKNOWN 1/2000. ISBN: 0373079745. Navy SEAL Mitchell Shaw woke up one morning with no clue as to who he was. And the items hidden in his possession were no help -- an address, along with a .22 caliber side arm. The address led him to the Lazy 8 Ranch -- and its beautiful manager, Becca Keyes, who made him believe he might have a future. Even if he wasn't sure about his past. The gun was another story altogether....
IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR 1998. ISBN: 037307896X. As Christmastime settled quietly over the countryside, government agent "Crash" Hawken was faced with a deadly conspiracy. And he had only one person to turn to -- the caring, passionate Nell Burns. For though Crash had long ago accepted the fact that there was no place in his dangerous world for the simple pleasures of home and family, Nell had been the only woman who had ever tempted him to dream of another kind of life.... Now, as he needed Nell more than ever before, he was beginning to see all that they could have together. What the future might be. If only he could be assured that they had one....
OUT OF CONTROL 1/2002. ISBN: 0804119716. Savannah von Hopf has no choice. To save her uncle's life, she goes in search of Ken "WildCard" Karmody, a guy she barely knew in college who is now a military operative. She must convince him to help her deliver a cache of ransom money into the hands of terrorists halfway around the world. What she doesn't expect is to end up in WildCard's arms before she can even ask for help. WildCard has always had a soft spot for beautiful women. But when he discovers Savannah's hidden agenda, he is determined to end the affair. But Savannah is bound for Indonesia with or without his protection, and he can't just walk away. When her plan goes horribly wrong, they are trapped in the forsaken jungle of a hostile country, stalked by a lethal enemy. As time is running out, they scramble to escape, risking both their lives to stop a nightmare from spinning even further out of control....
OVER THE EDGE 9/2001. ISBN: 0804119708. The story of an explosive hostage situation in which two people are caught between the call of duty and the lure of destiny. Her passion is flying. As one of the best helicopter pilots in the naval reserves, Lieutenant Teri Howe is tough, dedicated, and highly-skilled -- until a past mistake surfaces, jeopardizing everything she's worked for. Rock steady Senior Chief Stan Wolchonok has made a career of solving problems. He willingly comes to Teri's aid, knowing that his personal code of honor -- and perhaps his heart -- will be at risk. But when a jet carrying an American senator's daughter is hijacked, Stan's unflinching determination and Teri's steadfast courage are put to the ultimate test. The rescue mission will be daring and dangerous. But somewhere between peril and resolution, the line between friends and lovers begins to blur, pushing both their lives over the edge....
PRINCE JOE 6/1996. ISBN: 0373077203. The government wanted Veronica St. John to teach a tough, combat-hardened Navy SEAL how to impersonate a visiting European crown prince who'd been targeted by terrorists. But even if every gorgeous inch of him did look the part, this guy simply WASN'T prince material....
It wasn't just that everything about Lieutenant Joe Catalanotto -- from his New York accent to his arrogant, streetwise attitude -- said he was anything but an aristocrat. No, the REAL trouble was the way he made his refined, upper-crust teacher want to slap him silly -- and then kiss him senseless....Veronica St. John is facing the challenge of a lifetime. The media consultant has two days to teach a rugged Navy SEAL to impersonate a European prince who has been targeted by terrorists. It's a tough assignment, but Veronica is sure she's up to the task -- until she actually meets Joe. Despite his physical resemblance to the handsome prince, Lieutenant Joe Catalanotto is nothing like the stuffy aristocrat. Everything about the combat-hardened Navy SEAL -- from the arrogant gleam in his eyes and streetwise attitude to the New York accent -- says regular guy, not royalty. One conversation and Veronica knows NOTHING could turn this military man into nobility. Joe, on the other hand, is confident he's got what it takes to complete his duty. But neither of them expects their assignment to include falling in love....THE UNSUNG HERO 7/2000. ISBN: 080411952X. The story of a Navy SEAL who returns to his hometown following a near-fatal head injury. He spots a man he believes is an international terrorist in the sleepy New England town and he puts his career and finally his life on the line when his superiors believe the threat's not real -- that he's suffering from injury-induced paranoia. With no support from the Navy or the U.S. Government, the hero is forced to create his own makeshift counter terrorist team, a motley group which includes the girl-turned-doctor-next-door, two elderly WWII veterans, a female sharpshooter, and the hero's 18-year-old niece and her computer geek/comic book artist boyfriend. After a near-fatal head injury, Navy SEAL lieutenant Tom Paoletti catches a terrifying glimpse of an international terrorist in his New England hometown. When he calls for help, the navy dismisses the danger as injury-induced imaginings. In a desperate, last-ditch effort to prevent disaster, Tom creates his own makeshift counter terrorist team, assembling his most loyal officers, two elderly war veterans, a couple of misfit teenagers, and Dr. Kelly Ashton -- the sweet "girl next door" who has grown into a remarkable woman. The town's infamous bad boy, Tom has always longed for Kelly. Now he has one final chance for happiness, one last chance to win her heart, and one desperate chance to save the day...
MIRROR IMAGE 6/1990. ISBN: 0446353957. The crash of a Dallas-bound jet wasn't just a tragedy to TV reporter Avery Daniels; it was an act of fate that handed her a golden opportunity to further her career. Mistaken for a glamorous, selfish woman named Carole Rutledge, the badly injured Avery would find that plastic surgery had given her Carole's face, the famous senatorial candidate for a husband, and a powerful Texas dynasty for inlaws. And as she lay helpless in the hospital, she would make a shattering discovery: someone close to the senator planned to assassinate him. Now, to save the life of the man she loved, Avery must live another woman's life - and risk her own...
SLOW HEAT IN HEAVEN 1990. ISBN: 0446361739. The adopted daughter of the most powerful man in town, Schyler Crandall had left Heaven, Louisiana, a broken-hearted girl. Now a crisis had brought her home to a family in conflict, a logging empire on the brink of disaster, and seething secrets that made Heaven hotter than hell. There was her beautiful younger sister, Tricia, with her cruel lies...Ken, her handsome husband, who married the wrong sister...Jigger, the pimp and ruffian with plans of his own...and Cash, arrogant, mysterious, and complex. No man was more dangerous for her to love, and there was no man she wanted more.
TIGER PRINCE 9/1985 (as Erin St. Claire). ISBN: 0373071124. A holiday romance turns into a sexy, passionate tale of misunderstanding when two strangers fall in love in what they think is a hidden tropical paradise -- only to discover that the world has been watching.... Caren Blakemore badly needed a holiday, and a Jamaican hideaway was just the place. Since the scenery included the gorgeous Derek Allen, she figured she'd made a great choice -- until she got home. It seemed her exotic lover was a very rich man whose every move -- including some she blushed to remember -- was stalked by paparazzi. And as amazing as their time together had been, she didn't need to relive it in lurid color on the front page of every tabloid in America....As the notorious Tiger Prince, Derek's every move created headlines, and his association with Caren had just incited international havoc. Heading for public disgrace, she was left with only one way out....
FRENCH QUARTER . 1998. ISBN: 1575663120. Set in lush and languid New Orleans, FRENCH QUARTER ..Celina Payne still celebrates the day she met visionary New Orleans businessman Errol Petrie. When Petrie hired her to represent Dreams -- a company that caters to the whims of the wealthy and uses the profits to fund the wishes of dying children -- he rescued her from a domineering mother and the suffocating world of high society. But Celia's new-found happiness is shattered all too soon. Arriving one morning at Petrie's opulent French Quarter mansion, Celia finds him dead -- with all the evidence of a night of sexual excess around him -- and is hurled into an unimaginable nightmare.In the days and weeks that follow, Celina will be hounded by a cadre of scandal-hungry reporters who smell sensation in her boss's flamboyant death, and stalked by a ruthless politician who sees a way to turn her vulnerability to his advantage. But most of all, Celina finds herself fleeing Jack Charbonnet, Petrie's business partner and best friend. The bitter and volatile Charbonnet is certain that Celina is hiding something about his old friend's murder, and will stop at nothing to discover what it is. Jack is right about one thing. Selina is keeping a secret -- one that makes her heart swell with tenderness and sorrow... and one she is determined to keep.
PURE DELIGHTS 1995. ISBN: 0821747983. Headstrong artistic rebel Paris Delight doesn't expect Mr. Right to come charging up on a silver steed. High-powered dealmaker Tobias Quinn is Seattle's sexiest divorced man, and he needs Paris to save his fortune and possibly his life. Between these two are bad blood, dangerous secrets and enough sizzling sparks to ignite most of Washington State...
TRUE BLISS. 8/1996. ISBN: 082175369X. Once upon a time, lonely privileged Bliss Winters and wild teenaged rebel Sebastian Plato were secret sweethearts, hiding their love from a hostile world. Until a rival's jealousy and shocking accusations shattered their dreams, forcing Sebastian to flee his hometown. Now, fifteen years later, he's back -- the bad boy made good -- rich and ruthless enough to buy and sell all those people who tried to ruin his life so long ago. But Sebastian has another agenda. This time, even as a desperate enemy plots to destroy him, he isn't leaving until he gets the one thing he wants more than revenge -- the woman he loved once, now and forever, his own true Bliss.
UNEXPECTED FAMILY 1999. ISBN: 0373242301. Meg believes a child will make them a family and help her husband Joe forget his first lost love Elena. Since she is unable to have children, she and Joe plan to adopt. Their plans are thrown for a loop when Joe's child by Elena appears at their door. Meg McConnell's world changed forever when her husband, Joe, introduced her... to his nine-year-old son! Meg never imagined she'd be asked to mother another woman's child. But she loved Joe, and his little boy was slowly capturing her heart. Could this unexpected family live happily ever after?
SHADES OF MOONLIGHT 10/1984. ISBN: 0451129989.
HIS SEDUCTIVE REVENGE 1998. ISBN: 0373761627. GABRIEL a.k.a. THE LOVER. He was out for revenge. Gabriel Marquez had a mission, and society princess Cristina Chandler was his pawn. Her engagement to a proper fiancé would soon be announced, but Gabriel had every intention of seducing Cristina before she even received the proposal. The wolfish charmer would take her to his bed, ruining two families with the scandal.... But the hunter had never imagined that Cristina's laughter and sweetness would erase his tough loner shell. She made him want things he had no right to covet. For once his innocent beauty learned of his plot, he'd have no right to even ask for a future.
LIGHTNING THAT LINGERS 12/1983. ISBN: 0553216309. He was the Cougar Club's star attraction, mesmerizing hundreds of women in the smoky glare of a spotlight, his hips swaying in the provocative motions of love. But in the dusty attic of a deserted mansion, Philip Brooks captivated his chosen lady with a sensuously measured waltz. Both were dances of seduction, revealing two sides of the same uncommon man -- and Jennifer Hamilton offered her heart to the kindred spirit, the tender poet in him. Together they wove a tapestry of love that merged two sensitive souls. But Philip's worldly side was alien to her, threatening to unravel the magical threads binding them....
SUNSHINE AND SHADOW 10/1986. ISBN: 0553250477. He thought there were no surprises left in the world... but the sudden appearance of young Amish widow Susan Peachey was astonishing -- and just the shock cynical Alan Wilde needed. She was a woman from another time, innocent, yet wise in ways he scarcely understood. Irresistibly, Susan and Alan were drawn together to explore their wildly exotic differences. And soon they would discover something far greater -- a rich emotional bond that transcended both of their worlds and linked them heart-to-heart... until their need for each other became so overwhelming that there was no turning back. But would she have to sacrifice all she cherished for the uncertain joy of their forbidden love?
THE TESTIMONY 10/1983 (as Robin James) ASIN: 0515069280.
CHARADE 1985. ISBN: 0373701608. Kane Stone lived a life filled with danger and adventure -- just the man for Shasta Masterson. Assigning herself as his bodyguard brought her the excitement she thrived on, but the real challenge turned out to be Kane himself. He was willing to have a good time with Shasta, but at thirty-seven he'd lived harder than most men and wasn't about to give up his freedom, even for the woman he loved. Somehow Shasta had to convince him that love and marriage could be one of life's greatest adventures.
ANYONE BUT YOU 9/1996. ISBN: 0373440049. She was beginning life fresh -- new job, new apartment. No husband. All she wanted was a puppy. A happy, perky puppy. Instead she got Fred. Part basset, part beagle, part manic-depressive. She loved Fred. Everything was great. Well, her best friend went through men like tissues and somehow Nina had to single-handedly save the company she worked for, but her life was great. Until Fred brought home Alex Moore -- poster boy for lonely women. NO, NO, NO she yelled at her hormones and her heart. Anyone but Alex. Still, Fred did have very good taste....
CRAZY FOR YOU 3/1999.ISBN: 0312198493. On Wednesday, Quinn McKenzie adopted a dog and changed her life. On Thursday, she tried to get somebody to notice. On Thursday night, somebody did. When Quinn McKenzie decides to change her "beige" life by adopting a stray dog, everything begins to spiral out of control. Now she's coping with dog-napping, breaking and entering, seduction, sabotage, stalking, more secrets than she really wants to know, and two men who are suddenly crazy... for her.
FAST WOMEN 5/2001. ISBN: 0312252617.Nell's been discarded. Suze's been repressed. Margie's been put on hold. But now they're hitting the ground running, kicking up dust, and moving at the speed of rage. They don't break for anybody. Nell Dysart's in trouble. Weighed down by an inexplicable divorce and a loss of appetite for everything, Nell is sleepwalking through life until her best friend finagles a job for her with a shabby little detective agency that has lots of potential and a boss who looks easy to manage. Gabe McKenna isn't doing too well, either. His detective agency is wasting time on a blackmail case, his partner has decided he hates watching cheating spouses for money, and his ex-wife has just dumped him... again. The only thing that's going his way is that his new secretary looks efficient, boring, and biddable. But looks can be deceiving, and soon Nell and Gabe are squaring off over embezzlement, business cards, vandalism, dog-napping, blackmail, Chinese food, unprofessional sex, and really ugly office furniture, all of which turn out to be the least of their problems. Because shortly after that, somebody starts killing people. And shortly after that, they start falling in love.
GETTING RID OF BRADLEY 2/1994. ISBN: 0373255802. As a brunette, Lucy Savage married banker Bradley Porter. Okay, he didn't set her pulse racing, but he seemed nice enough. Then she discovered he wasn't so nice after all when she found him with another woman... in HER house! So she divorced him and dyed her hair blonde. She didn't have much luck as a blonde. She assaulted Zack Warren, a cop, with her textbook. Big mistake. He was trying to shield her from a bullet. Shaken by his sexy swagger, she went home and dyed her hair black. She had even worse luck with... green hair. First her car blew up, next her bed. Then Zack moved into her house to protect her from Bradley... the prime suspect. Her heart was pounding... and not with fear. Zack was proving to be more dangerous to her equilibrium than bombs or bullets!
WELCOME TO TEMPTATION. 3/2000. ISBN: 0312252943. Sophie came to Temptation, Ohio, to help her sister make a movie. Now she's making trouble for the town council, love with the mayor, and lemonade for a murderer. All Sophie Dempsey wants to do is help her sister make a video of a washed-up actress and get out of town before they get into trouble. The daughter of generations of con men, Sophie's trying to walk the straight and narrow, but it's, well, difficult. All Mayor Phineas Tucker wants to do is run Temptation with as little fuss as possible and win his upcoming election without cutting into the time he needs for his real passion: playing pool. The son of generations of mayors, Phin's trying to be an upstanding citizen, but it's, well, boring. It only takes one look before Sophie knows Phin's the kind of boy her mother used to warn her about: a fast-talking town boy -- and Phin knows she's the kind of woman his father told him to stay away from: the devil's candy. And in no time at all, boredom is the least of their difficulties. Gossip, adultery, and blackmail; pornography, politics, and murder; vehicular abuse of a corpse and slightly perverse but really excellent sex: all hell is breaking loose in Temptation, Ohio, while Sophie and Phin fall deeper and deeper in trouble... and in love.
AGAIN THE MAGIC 8/1982
LAUGH WITH ME, LOVE WITH ME 5/1983
ANGEL FOR HIRE 1992. ISBN: 037305680X. Alexandra Logan was at her wits' end! She was nearly broke, her farm was failing, and the local townspeople were angry at her boarders. So she looked to the skies for help... and it came in the very pleasing form of Michael Justice. But Michael was like no man Alexandra had ever met....Michael had been sent to earth to help those in need, and Alexandra certainly fit in that category. But in no time he was having feelings for her that had much more to do with BODY than SOUL! Yet how could he ever tell her the truth -- that he was no mere mortal, but an angel in disguise?
CLAY YEAGER'S REDEMPTION 1999. ISBN: 0373079265I
LORD OF THE STORM 1994. ISBN: 0451404904. He is Wolf, one of the few survivors from the planet Trios, conquered by the mighty intergalactic Coalition. Magnificently handsome and virile, he is a valuable sexual slave programmed to pleasure a woman beyond her wildest dreams. She is Capt. Shaylah Graymist, the Coalition's beautiful and fiery ace fighter pilot, with countless battles and victories to her credit. Medals are but a part of the reward for her heroism. Another is Wolf, offered to her as a special accolade. But Wolf, whose spirit stays free even as his flesh is pressed into service, stirs more than Shaylah's hunger. He melts her heart. And they join together as equals to battle against slavery and the evil Coalition...and they unite as man and woman in the forbidden feeling called love -- causing a burst of passion to shake the stars and light the vastness of space....
HEAVEN'S GIFT. 10/1995. ISBN: 0505520591. She was an angel, sent from Heaven to protect J.T. Rafferty. Little did he know, she was his childhood sweetheart, the only woman he's ever loved. She was his soul mate.... The last thing J.T. Rafferty expected when he awoke from a concussion was to find a beautiful stranger tending to his wounds. She'd saved his life, but the lovely Caitlan Daniels had some serious explaining to do, like how she had ended up on his isolated ranch lands, miles from civilization. Despite his wariness, J.T. found himself increasingly drawn to Caitlan, whose gentle touch promised sweet satisfaction. She was passionate and independent and utterly enchanting. But Caitlan also had a secret, and when J.T. finally discovered the shocking truth, he'd have to defy heaven and earth to keep her close to his heart.
SEDUCED 12/2000. ISBN: 0373259115. Ryan Matthews is a man who knows what he wants, and he's wanted sassy, sexy Jessica Newman in his bed for over a year. Now he's going after her, and he'll do whatever it takes to make her his... including seducing her in the most sinful, shocking ways! Lawyer Ryan Matthews wanted sexy Jessica Newman the moment he saw her. And she seemed to want him, too, but something was holding her back. So now Ryan decides it's time to launch a sensual assault. He IS going to have Jessica in his bed -- and he isn't above tempting her with her own forbidden fantasies to do it....Jessica isn't really playing hard to get. In fact, she's pretty sure a relationship with Ryan wouldn't work... although faced with Ryan's plan to seduce her senseless, she can't exactly remember why. She's constantly on edge, wondering what sensual scheme, what erotic pleasure Ryan has in store for her. She's definitely ENJOYING the chase -- but does she dare let Ryan finally catch her?
KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR (also a time-travel). ISBN: 0671678574. Dougless Montgomery couldn't believe it. She had tried to be the very essence of the modern American woman -- competent yet sexy, financially independent yet ready to love and be loved. She had planned this holiday tour with special care, wanting everything to be perfect for Robert, the man she hoped one day to marry. Yet here she was, after a stupid quarrel, abandoned in a church in the midst of rural England. Abandoned, with no luggage, no money, no credit cards, while Robert drove off without so much as a backward glance. As Dougless lay upon a cold tombstone, crying in fury and frustration, she longed for a knight in shining armor to save her from this abysmal mess. Suddenly, as if in answer to her prayers, the most extraordinary man stood before her.... He was Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck, who according to his tombstone had died in 1564. Tall, broad-shouldered, attired in gleaming silver and gold, he was magnificent. He stood in the dim light of the church, thunderstruck, drinking her in: her strange costume, the uncased hair that flowed to her shoulders, her long, lovely, BARE legs. He could scarce keep his wits about him, but of one thing he was certain -- she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Drawn to his side by a bond so sudden and compelling it overshadowed reason, Dougless knew that Nicholas was nothing less than a miracle: a man who would not seek to change her, who found her perfect, fascinating, just as she was. Yet she could not imagine how strong were the chains that tied them to the past... or the grand adventure that lay before them....
A LOVE FOR MONEY 1997
STREETS OF FIRE 1990. ISBN: 0373704070. Calgary real estate magnate Sydney Foster had a secret: As a young girl with a different name, she'd been forced to sell her body at the cost of her soul. And except for the faith of vice cop Nick Novak, she'd still be trapped by the dark side of the city. Sydney had risen from the ashes of her past like a phoenix, but she'd never forgotten Nick, who still struggled valiantly on streets of fire. Reunited by tragedy and circumstance, Sydney and Nick faced a love too strong to forget and a past too painful to remember....
WHEN MORNING COMES 12/1984. ISBN: 0373701438. By arranging the rescue of her estranged husband, David, from a prison camp in Central America, Chris Spencer could try to make up to him for walking out of their marriage four years earlier. She'd never dreamed they would rediscover love, but their weeks in the oceanfront cabin on Vancouver Island were filled with happiness. The idyll was short-lived. A woman waited back in Central America, and David had no choice but to ensure her safety. Chris knew she must let him go. She could only pray that this time when he came home, it would be forever.
WHATEVER IT TAKES 1988. ISBN: 0373072287.
FOUL PLAY 1989 (as Stephie Hall). When Amy Klasse loses her TV job to a dancing chicken, handsome veterinarian Jake Elliott rescues her with an offer to be his receptionist. Jake just can't resist a damsel-in-distress and Amy certainly doesn't mind Jake's charming sincerity. Then suddenly the job-stealing chicken disappears and Amy is suspected of foul play! Amy and Jake search for clues to prove her innocence -- and uncover a sizzling passion for each other along the way. Jake wants to investigate that passion further, but Amy's got a reputation to save! Will Jake have enough time to prove to Amy that love, too, is a mystery worth solving?
ONE FOR THE MONEY. 9/1995. ISBN: 0061009059. Trenton native Stephanie Plum is out of work, out of money, and her car's in repo-hell. So how does a hardly working girl turn to when the going gets tough? Meet cousin Vinnie, bail bondsman. Stephanie figures it's nice work if you can get it--shagging bail jumpers for $10,000 a pop. So she joins up. Not that she knows the first thing about it. But hey, beggars can't be choosers. But now the bad news--there's a cranky ex-prize fighter dogging her, unfinished business with Maestro Morelli himself, and a nasty habit she has of leaping first and looking later. If Stephanie doesn't wise up fast, the first dead body she sees could be her own.
TWO FOR THE DOUGH 9/1996. ISBN: 0671001795. Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum debuted in Janet Evanovich's award-winning One for the Money. Now she's back, packing a whole lot of attitude -- not to mention stun guns, defense sprays, killer flashlights and a .38 Smith & Wesson -- on the trail of Kenny Mancuso, a boy from the working class burg of Trenton, who's just shot his best friend. Mancuso's fresh out of the army and suspiciously wealthy. He's also distantly related to Joe Morelli, a vice cop with ethics that lean toward the gray zone, a libido in permanent overdrive, and a habit of horning in on Stephanie's investigations. Aided by her tough bounty hunter pal, Ranger, and her funeral-happy Grandma Mazur, Stephanie's soon staggering knee-deep in corpses and caskets, trying to shake Morelli ... and stirring up a very nasty enemy.
THREE TO GET DEADLY 7/1997. ISBN: 0312966091. Stephanie Plum, the brassy babe in the powder blue Buick, is back, and she's having a bad hair day -- for the whole month of January.For starters, she's been given the unpopular task of finding Mo Bedemier -- one of the burg's most beloved figures, who unfortunately was caught carrying concealed. Steph's job is to haul his revered ass back to the lock-up and collect her share of the bounty. But Mo seems to have skipped town. His car is gone, his ice cream store is deserted, and his neighbors aren't talking, certainly not to Stephanie. Trenton homicide cop and local hunk Joe Morelli is keeping his distance. The last time he got social with Stephanie he ended up naked in the middle of the street. But Stephanie's not one to say no to a challenge, whether she's after a Mo or a Morelli....With lots of help from former "ho" turned file clerk, Lula, and the occasional assist from the ultimate of bounty hunters, Ranger, Stephanie packs her pepper spray and takes off in pursuit of the elusive purveyor of sweets.
FOUR TO SCORE 6/1998. ISBN: 0312966970. Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, Trenton's answer to sweeps week, is on the trail of Maxine Nowicki, who failed to appear in court on a charge of boosting her ex-boyfriend Eddie Kuntz's car. Like most of the quarry Stephanie tracks for her cousin Vinnie, Maxine hasn't gone far. Not only does she keep popping up to taunt and threaten Stephanie, but she's even arranged a little treasure hunt for Eddie: If he follows the puzzling clues she sends him, he'll get back his mushy old love letters. Stephanie, who doesn't sell herself cheap, takes $1,000 from Eddie to help decipher the clues, but wonders if helping him is such a good idea, since so many of Maxine's nearest and dearest--her mother, her friend Marjorie, the 7-Eleven manager who last saw Maxine--are turning up dead or mutilated, and Stephanie herself is getting harassed, vandalized, and firebombed. In another universe, such wholesale mayhem would be cause for alarm, but for Stephanie it's just so many setup lines for the real questions: Will Stephanie beat her archrival, trampy skip-tracer Joyce Barnhardt, to Maxine? Has longtime lust object Joe Morelli's grandmother gotten Stephanie pregnant by putting the Evil Eye on her? And will Stephanie ever look as foxy as the two transvestite puzzle-solvers she's got in her corner?
HIGH FIVE 6/1999. ISBN: 0312971346.Stephanie Plum, the bodacious bounty-hunter from Trenton, New Jersey, returns for her fifth adventure (Four to Score, 1998, etc.). Or rather misadventure, since nothing ever goes right for Stephanie, thank heaven. This time out the trouble (and fun) starts when Steph's mom informs her that Uncle Fred is missing. Actually, nobody could really miss the disagreeable old coot, but he is family. And either the Plums stick together, Stephanie's told, or they get picked off separately. Besides, not much is happening in the way of miscreants jumping bail, which means she's got time on her hands. The hunt commences. Soon enough, Steph discovers that dead-head Fred is connected to some high-powered scams nobody would have believed he had the gumption for. In turn, this has the effect of connecting Steph to various hard guys who mean her serious harm. So she scrambles an egg and downs a multivitamin with her orange juice: ``A healthy breakfast to start the day off rightjust in case I lived through the morning.'' The ensuing complications include: Champ Ramirez, that no-account sociopath, freed from the slammer and on the prowl for her; hunkish Detective Joe Morelli and his special kind of prowling everlastingly lustful; and now senior bounty-hunter Ranger the dangerous, her erstwhile mentor, casting looks at her that are distinctly non-mentorish. What's a Jersey girl to do about all this?
HOT SIX 6/2000. ISBN: 0312976275. Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is faced with her most daunting task yet: bring in the mysterious former Special Forces agent Carlos Manoso (aka Ranger). He's the man who taught her everything about fugitive apprehension, and Stephanie knows she will be testing her skills against the master. But even if she does catch him, she's not so sure she could turn in her friend-even if he is wanted for murder...And if this isn't enough to keep her up at night, Grandma Mazur is crimping her sex life by moving in with her and keeping her from getting any action from her cop boyfriend, Joe Morelli. Now, with her love life messing with her head, two threatening goons on her tail, and three corpses-so far-it's getting a little too hot for Stephanie whose search for Ranger is bringing her dangerously close to the wrong side of the law...
SEVEN UP 6/2001. ISBN: 0312265840. Semi-retired mob guy, Eddie DeChooch, is caught trafficking contraband cigarettes through Trenton, New Jersey. When DeChooch fails to show for a court appearance, bond enforcement agent Stephanie Plum is assigned the task of finding him and dragging his decrepit ass back to jail. Not such an easy job, it turns out, since DeChooch has learned a lot of tricks over the years and isn't afraid to use his gun. He's already shot Loretta Ricci and left her for worm food in his shed. He wouldn't mind shooting Stephanie next. Likeable losers (and former high school classmates) Walter "MoonMan" Dunphy and Dougie "The Dealer" Kruper have inadvertently become involved with DeChooch. They've gotten sucked into an operation which is much more than simple cigarette smuggling and holds risks far greater than anyone could have imagined. When Dougie disappears, Steph goes into search mode. When Mooner disappears, she calls in the heavy artillery and asks master bounty hunter Ranger for help. Ranger's price for the job? One night with Stephanie, dusk to dawn. Not information she'd want to share with her some-time live in roommate, vice cop Joe Morelli. A typical dilemma in the world of Plum.And on the homefront, Stephanie's "perfect" sister Valerie has decided to move back to Trenton, bringing her two kids from hell. Grandma Mazur is asking questions about being a lesbian, and Bob, the bulimic dog, is eating everything in sight-including the furniture. Mud wrestling, motorcycles, fast cars, fast food, and fast men.
