I love Harlequin books

Do you remember the first real romance book that you read? I don’t remember the name of the book or even the author but I remember the story line. It was a little Harlequin as that is mostly what my little library carried. From the moment that I read that story and then the next one I was hooked. I had found the reading niche for me. I was no longer satisfied with The Baby-Sitters Club, and Sweet Valley Twins, no I wanted romance. Happily Ever After. Girls meets boy, girl loses boy, boy finds girl and they declare their love. I know it was sappy, and not cool, but I was 14, had been living in the city for a year, I missed my friends, I missed a boy, I wanted to go back, I didn’t fit in with the kids at school. They were my salvation, they took my away to places that I had never dreamed of seeing until I read those books. For a girl from a small farming community places like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, London, Paris, Italy, these were places that I had seen on a map, but through romance books was able to see and visit and imagine the man that would sweep me of my feet, and take me to those exotic places.

I imagined what my true love would be like, how he would treat me, the places that he would take me. How he would love me. I imagined what he would like.

To this day 20 years later I still love Harlequin romance books, the ones that cost $3 at Wal-Mart, my husband and sons call them bath tub books. They buy them and bath stuff and put them by the bath tub. I never buy just one, I have to have a couple and I will read the same book over and over again.

Do you remember your first romance book? Leave a post telling me about it and be entered to win one of 4 $20 gift certificates to Borders in honor of BBAW.

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50 Comments

  1. Llehn

    My first romance was a Sweet Dream book, a teen romance about a girl on the debating team, the title now which eludes me. I borrowed it from my cousin and though I have to confess that I am not a romance girl, I still read one from time to time.

    lesly7ch(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Reply
  2. Mishel

    My first romance book was not so long ago. Back in 2007 when I stumbled into the romance section of B&N I remember Dark Guardian by Christine Feehan grabbing my attention. It was either the male model on the front or the wolf on the back 😉

    That started my paranormal addiction…and to books and reading in general. I've always been a reader, but the avid part really kicked in after reading Dark Guardian. I'm getting into so many different genres now =)

    Reply
  3. Mishel

    sorry I didn't leave my email =( Duh lol

    mishtakes AT gmail DOT com

    Thanks again!

    Reply
  4. lizzi0915

    Thanks for the giveaway. Please enter me. Oh, my first romance was one of those YA romance novels. But back then, 25 year ago, they didn't use the term YA! I still remember it was The Summer of the Sky Blue Bikini!

    lizzi0915 at aol dot com

    Reply
  5. Alysa

    My first romance book was Brides of Wildcat County. I checked it out on accident, thinking it was a different book. But after I read it, I was hooked on the series! 🙂

    Reply
  6. rubynreba

    I was looking back through some of my books and found Old Flame, New Sparks. I remember I really liked that one.
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

    Reply
  7. throuthehaze

    My first romance was The Paper Marriage by Bronwyn Williams. It was my sisters book…I have loved Historical romance ever since

    throuthehaze at gmail dot com

    Reply
  8. TheSandsCrew

    I love how different books turn us to the genres that we read.

    Reply
  9. Jamie

    LOL my first Romance was Twilight that I read in January of this year. As soon as I finished it I immediately went looking for more books like it and found Paranormal Romance. I fell in love..lol!!

    jbbird(at)duo-county(dot)com

    Reply
  10. Heather

    Mishel, I love the Dark Series it is one of my favorites.

    Jaime, my sister started with Twilight and is now reading all of my Nora Roberts.

    Reply
  11. Shooting Stars Mag

    I don't know what my first romance book was. I started reading a ton about a year ago and I love Nice Girl's Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper. it's a good one…paranormal romance, I guess.

    -Lauren
    lauren51990 AT aol DOT com

    Reply
  12. Alyce

    Oh boy, I don't really remember the first romance book that I read, but I do remember my friends and I passing around harlequins when we were in junior high. We used cut up paper bags to make covers for them so our parents wouldn't see them. I don't really know how successful that was, but I didn't get caught. 🙂

    akreese (at) hotmail (dot) com

    Reply
  13. Marie

    I think my first romance book was The Thorn Birds — I read it when I was pretty young and remember being fascinated by it 🙂

    marielay@gmail.com

    Reply
  14. holdenj

    My first romance was totally a bodice ripper type, with a title similar to Freedom's Flame. (can't remember for sure anymore) Anyway, it took place during the American Revolution and I told my dad when he glanced at it that it was historical…
    Thanks for the memory!
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  15. Bella

    My first romance was Forever, by Judy Blume! And oh, the years since then have been filled with so many good ones! I have to confess, it was Twilight that returned me to the genre after a mystery/true crime hiatus. And I haven't looked back, since!

    b42bella(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  16. Jemima

    I would love to enter, but I don't really remember my first romance. I like tragic romance like Anna Karenina.

    thereadingfourney[at]gmail[dot]com

    Reply
  17. Robin of My Two Blessings

    Would you believe I kept several of mine all these years. Great memories.

    Two from 1978 "Hepburn's Quay" by Lucy Gillen and from 1979 "The Wool King" by Kerry Allyne. My very first romance was phyllis whitney's "Hunter's Green."

    Please enter me.

    rlmccormack59 at gmail.com

    Reply
  18. beautifulfairym

    My first romance was a Harlequin that I stole, oops, I mean "borrowed" from my mom's bedroom bookshelf when I was 13. It was set in Australia, on a boat. The woman was a research biologist that was tagging dolphins and the man was the piratesque captain. I remember one of my favorite parts was when he read her t-shirt that announced "Kissing a Smoker is like Licking an Ashtray" while he smoked a cigar. I loved that book and read it many times over the years.

    halogirl81@msn.com

    Reply
  19. Cherie J

    My first romance was a Phyllis A. Whitney book when I was a preteen. I can't even remember the name since it has been so long. I remember graduating to Harlequin Romances soon after and being hooked into romances even more. That was over 20 years ago and I still look forward to reading one occasionally since I do have some fave authors that I feel nostalgic about. Thanks for such a wonderful contest!

    cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Reply
  20. Mari

    My first or one of the first was Lily and the Major by Linda Lael Miller.
    But I liked books with romantic elements before I ever picked up a "romance" book.

    runningmatey at hotmail dot com

    Reply
  21. Alexia561

    I don't remember the title, but it was a Harlequin Romance back in Jr High School. A friend of mine introduced me to Harlequins. I loved those books so much that I subscribed so I would get them before anyone else! 😀

    alexia561@yahoo.com

    Reply
  22. donnas

    My first was a VC Andrews book. I dont remember which one because I devoured them all in high school as fast as I could get them. I only recently discovered the great stories Harlequin has published.

    bacchus76 at myself dot com

    Reply
  23. Heather

    I love how different books start us on the reading path that we are one.

    Angela I love the quote from that book, you should have K make a t-shirt with that saying, does your mom still have it?

    Reply
  24. babygirlG

    I can't remember the name of the first romance book I read but it was a Mills and Boon I nicked it off my mom's shelf.

    tehashley(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Reply
  25. Shawntele

    Oh my goodness, I used to sneak my mothers harlequin books, that was such a long time ago, I can't particularly remember any specific title! Please include my entry anyway, my email is savedbygrace7215(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Reply
  26. Pam

    My first romance book would have been Palomino by Danielle Steel. I remember my mom reading her all the time so she said that was one I could read.

    melacan at hotmail dot com

    Reply
  27. RachieG

    Nora Roberts…"The Return of Rafe MacKade" < I remember it like yesterday! Amazing romance!!

    BBAW week rocks!

    rachie2004 AT yahoo (d0t) cOM

    Reply
  28. Angiegirl

    I've only really read one romance novel. My first was MR. IMPOSSIBLE by Loretta Chase. I liked it all right but am still looking for one that better fits me. I hear Julia Quinn is good. Thanks for the generous giveaway!

    Reply
  29. Heather

    Pam, I loved Palamino it was one of the first romance books that I read that wasn't a Harlequin.

    Rachie, I love that series. My sister and I think that Rafe was the best out of the brothers.

    Reply
  30. Sara

    My first romance book was Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead. I fell in love with her Vampire Academy series last summer, and had to read everything else she had written.

    Sara M
    silentalibis AT yahoo DOT com

    Reply
  31. Stacie

    My first romance book was one that I read as a young teen called "A Summer to Remember". I can't recall the author but I do remember the main characters Frost and Margaret.

    simplystacieblog@gmail.com

    Reply
  32. Brodie

    If I remember correctly, the first romance book I read was "Cloud Nine" by Luanne Rice a few years back. I got it sent me in the mail and quickly devoured it up. I needed a lot of tissues afterward though because it's definitely a tearjerker of a novel ;( But after reading Twilight last year, I then began to actively seek out more romance type novels to fill my craving!

    Please enter me if this is open internationally! (I know we have an online and instore Borders here in Australia)

    Thanks!!
    hanging.by.a.moment_@hotmail.com

    Reply
  33. Emma

    Thanks for the giveaway. Please enter me. I don't remember the name of the book or even the author. augustlily06(at)aim(dot)com

    Reply
  34. Deedles

    My first Romance book was A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux.
    Loved it.
    djeanq(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  35. Holly

    I remember being mortified, and feeling like everyone sitting around me could tell that I was reading a dirty word. I was probably 10 shades of read the entire bus ride!

    holly.kay.lee(at)gmail.com

    Reply
  36. MaMa

    My first romance novel was The Otherside of Midnight by Sidney Sheldon. I remember bookmarking my favorite pages! Thanks for hosting this great contest.
    Lisa
    mistyfuji *at* yahoo *dot* com

    Reply
  37. Katie

    Hmm..I can't remember the name of my first romance novel but I do know that the main character hatched this crazy plan to get her guy at a school carnival kissing booth.

    katiesbookshelf@ymail.com

    Reply
  38. TruBlu93

    My first Romance was Anatomy of a Boy. Boy was that book graphic at times, but not as much as I Know It's Over. Let's just say know I know a little more than what I'd like to know. But Asides from the descriptions and stuff, they were book really good books.

    ,)TruBlu('
    stellargurl93(at)aim(dot)com

    Reply
  39. TitansFan

    I'll have to tell my wife about that, she reads those in the Bath Tub Jacuzzi all the time. She'll get a kick out of this.

    Reply
  40. Tynga

    I only strated reading lately, but Twilight was the first. Don't know if it really counts though =P

    Reply
  41. Cathy M

    The first romance book I read was Witch of Blackbird Pond Elizabeth George Speare, and I've been hooked ever since.

    caity_mack@yahoo(dot)com

    Reply
  42. Kristen

    I'm pretty sure my first romance novel was by Angela Knight. Master of the Night. Mmmm. I'm glad to see she finally has a new one coming out – it's been a few years!

    bittahsweetharmony@yahoo.com

    Reply
  43. Heather

    Cathy, I loved the With on Blackbird Pond, I read in the 5th grade. To this day it has remained one of my favorite books.

    Reply
  44. scottsgal

    My first true romance book that was not a Harlequin had to be The Thorn Birds – many years ago

    msboatgal at aol.com

    Reply
  45. Penny

    I was never a romance fan until I read Julie Garwood. Not sure which one was first…Maybe The Castle? She has a way of making me laugh out loud, and yet melt on the inside. I've been hooked ever since.

    jamesandpennym(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply
  46. Book Sp(l)ot

    Well since the world seems to count it as one, Rebecca would be mine 🙂 But in terms or romancey romance…probably one of JR Ward's books? I think.

    book.splotATgmailDOTcom

    Reply
  47. cstironkat

    My first romance book was in jr high. I don't remember the name but it was set in Spain. I loved reading all that beautiful place.

    Reply
  48. Brooke

    Oh my first one was actually a Historical Harlequin Romance… It was one of the many many many books my mother had and I borrowed.. The name has slipped my mind and the story itself no clue; however, it opened me to not only romance but to the historical genre as well.. weeshenanigans (at) gmail (dot) com

    Reply
  49. decklededges

    I don't think I've ever actually read a romance book… Time to start, maybe?

    Reply
  50. Alicia

    I don't remember my first one, but I do remember the summer (or week during the summer) I stayed with a friend about 20 miles out of town. Her mother had bookcases full of Harlequins. I easily read 30-40 of them within that week. Friend wasn't too happy I spent all my time reading. Oh well.

    Thanks for the giveaway >^..^<

    bloggyig at gmail dot com

    Reply

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