This proved harder than I thought it would be when I first plucked this from my list of ideas to blog. There are so many wonderful romance novels written since I started reading way back in the day. There are far more than ten novels, so I'll give it my best shot!
The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss
An oldie, but a goodie. Unfortunately, Ms. Woodiwiss is no longer with us but every single book she every wrote was an excellent read. This one was by far the best. The Wolf and the Dove came in a close second. These may be a little outdated (this one was published in 1972) since times have changed so much since written, but the story is memorable and that's what matters.
True Betrayals by Nora Roberts
Another one that was published long ago, but not quite as long-1995. Roberts has written hundreds of memorable stories, but this one stuck out to me and still remains one of my favorites. There are several others that I love, such as Carolina Moon, Montana Sky, and Sanctuary.
The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
This one caught me by surprise. My daughter had to read it in her lit class for senior year, and the ending shocked me-to say the least. Not at all what I'd expected, but the actual romance of the story was well-written and it stayed with me. I judge books by whether I can remember the story line, and this one I remember well.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
A book that remains in my all-time favorites, this is one of the most colorful stories I've ever read. It was so colorful. Well written and poignant.
Without Merit by Colleen Hoover
One of the first books I read by this author, who incidentally used to be an independent author like me and others I know. A lot of books written by Colleen Hoover have stuck with me. I can see how she got picked up by a traditional publisher. Her stories resonate and her characters are memorable. A few others that stuck were Verity, Too Late, Confess, Heart Bones, and, of course, It Ends With Us.
Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
I give you fair warning that there are two more books coming, but it will be a while before that happens. And when you are done with these three, you will want the next one immediately. Rebecca Yarros definitely knows how to end her books on a giant cliffhanger. This is romantasy and heavy on the spice, just a word of caution. It's not in abundance, but what there is of it . . . whew.
The Lion's Bride by Connie Mason
Another oldie, but goodie. On the spicy side for a long time ago, but it was a great romance novel.
A Court of Thorns and Roses (and the rest of the series) by Sarah J. Maas
Another romantasy series, but an extremely good one. The first book was very tame compared to the rest of them, but I read through them with super speed and after the first one, they got very heavy on the spicy scenes. But as far as romance goes, I put it in my top ten for a reason. Spicy scenes aside, we're talking romance stories here, and these books were memorable in that alone. Not at all what I expected when I started with the first one.
One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
These were not what I expected, either, but I was pleasantly surprised and glad I picked them up. Wonderfully written and engaging. Again, I'm judging on the love story itself. Romance, but not really descriptive sex scenes-and that's okay. To some, it might not be.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Last, but certainly not least, Outlander. If you can stick with it, I know she is extremely detailed in her writing, but the story itself is wonderful. And I don't mean watching it on Starz or DVD/Bluray. I mean actually reading the book. You get so much more when you read the book! I still have two more of this series to read, but you have to have some serious time on your hands to concentrate on the reading of one of these tomes.
There you have it. These are my top ten, but there are so many more that I can mention! And I'm sure I'll read many more, and hopefully write some to make your top ten!
Jodie Leigh Murray