Historical Romances

For those who enjoy historical (and by "historical" we mean modern girls set in a vaguely recognizable historical setting that is basically like today) romances, I recommend the Avon True Romance Series, featuring such classics as:

• Samantha and the Cowboy by Lorraine Heath
• Belle and the Beau by Beverly Jenkins
• Anna and the Duke by Kathryn Smith
• Gwyneth and the Thief by Margaret Moore
• Nicola and the Viscount by Meg Cabot
• Catherine and the Pirate by Karen Hawkins
• Miranda and the Warrior by Elaine Barbieri
• Tess and the Highlander by May McGoldrick
• Emily and the Scot by Kathryn Smith
• Amelia and the Outlaw by Lorraine Heath
• Josephine and the Soldier by Beverly Jenkins
• Victoria and the Rogue by Meg Cabot

Religious Young Adult Fiction

For anyone looking for a religious angle on teen novels, try the Aloha Cove Series, about two step-sisters finding love on a tropical island.

Another series worth considering is Springsong Books published by Bethany House.  A few of my favorites are:

• Anne by Muriel Canfield Kanoza
• Sherri by Leila Prince Golding
• Gillian by Laurel Oke Logan
• Kathy by Marcia Mitchell
• Cynthia by Leila Prince Golding

Classics

Romance novels just aren't what they used to be.  Sigh...  If you're in the mood for a good classic, here are a few I recommend:

• Evelina by Fanny Burney - My all-time favorite novel!  (And that is really saying something :)
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë - In my opinion, the best of the Brontës
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë / Villette by Charlotte Brontë - Read these only if you are already completely depressed.
• Anything by Jane Austen will be a good bet!  (My personal favorite is, of course, Pride and Prejudice.)

Fantasy

Not really my favorite genre, but there are still some good romances to be found. 

One series I love is the Vampire Trilogy by Caroline B. Cooney: The Cheerleader; Return of the Vampire; and The Vampire's Promise.

I recently purchased Twilight, the first novel of Stephanie Meyer's best-selling vampire series, but I haven't read it yet.  I'll post a little review of it after I read it, since I'm sure you were all just dying to know my opinion on the book.

Also, I can't really go on much further without putting in a plug for J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.  (Not that she needs any additional plugs!!  But this is one of my favorite series of books, so I can't resist.)

Other Young Adult Series

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - The first novel in this series is amazing; the rest are quite good.

Princess Diaries - The movies really changed the plot of the original series (maybe for the better?) but these are still a fun read.

Confessions of Georgia Nicolson - These are hilarious.