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[oyceter]

Lately the only thing I seem to be able to read is romantic comedy. So... rec me stuff!

I have just gone on a terrible binge through nearly all of Julia Quinn (rilina, this is all your fault!), whom I have been enjoying because her heroes tend to be less alpha, her couples genuinely seem to like each other, and she's funny. Also, it helps that her later books have been overcoming her tendency to put 100 pages too much at the end.

I am mostly looking for something rather like 1930s romantic comedies, with a lot of banter and extremely likable heroines. Non-alpha heroes are a HUGE plus. It doesn't have to be in the romance genre, although I only want recs for textual things; my brain just cannot concentrate on TV or movies lately. Sadly, this goes for manga too and basically anything visual.

I also enjoy Loretta Chase, Laura Kinsale's comedies, Connie Brockway's comedies, and Jennifer Crusie.

I have kind of bounced off Eloisa James (is she considered funny?). I don't read as many contemporaries because a lot of the romance genre rules work better for me in historicals, but if it is screwball and feminist, I am all for it. I tend to bounce off of adult chick lit because I frequently don't actually find it funny or enjoyable.

... Maybe I should finally start reading Heyer?

Comments

[meganbmoore]

I read a Heyer last week, Lady of Quality, that had a strong 30s comedy feel (and, cvonveniently, is the first of the 4 Heyers I''ve read that i really really loved).

If you can find them, I'm very fond of Loretta Chase and Susan Carroll's older Trad. Regencies, but you may not be able to find them even in used bookstores anymore, and I think you already read Carla Kelly. They're reprinting Jo Beverley's, though, and I've liked those that I've read, and they're lighter than her historicals.

I've always been fond of Amanda Quick, but she really does kind of rewrite the same thing over and over. I like Sabrina Jeffries and Suzanne Enoch's earlier books, but both wore off for me about 6~ books into their careers, though I think I also had a general burnout on romances for a couple years around the same time. The couple of Jacquie D'Alessandro's I've read have been pretty fun, ditto for Liz Carlyle and Kathryn Caskie. Also, while not RomComs, and possibly out of print, I'm absurdly fond of Marsha Canham's swashbuckler romances, especially Swept Away and Pale Moon Rider.

[oyceter]

I've pretty much read through all of Chase's backlist (there are one or two I've been saving), and while I like what I've read of Kelly, they're not frothy enough for my mood right now. Maybe I will try Beverley's Regencies... I bounce hard off her historicals for some reason.

I've bounced off Quick and Enoch and Carlyle, but will check out the others, thanks!