14 on 14 – 14 Best Romances for Your Lady on Valentine’s Day

By Roopa Ki Yatra

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I’m, at once, ashamed and, also, feel a little I-don’t-care-who-judges-me attitude towards this topic. I was putting together my gift guides for the website and since V-Day is coming up – I thought – why not curate a Gift Guide post on one of the best not-so-best secrets out in the real world – which is that a LOT OF WOMEN read romances. Even the ones who appear very cerebral or brash or unromantic – even they do.

We. Just. Do.

I’m not saying every woman reads them. I’m just saying that a lot of us do. I’m also saying that many of us will die before admitting to said fact.

And, finally, I’m saying I’m one of those women who had read them in the past and continue to do so now. A lot more sporadically now than before. Just life, travels, reading a TON of stuff for my job as a writing professor and a lot of really amazing Film and TV content has meant that my casual reading itself has gone for a bit of a toss. And within that – reading romances has gone way down. But I still try and snatch a quick read here and there when I can.

For some reason I was thinking about the genre of romantic writing itself and realized that the type of romances I have read and continue to do so are the Harlequin/Mills and Boon short romances. I don’t (and never have) like the longer romances. That’s a bit much for me. But the quick 2-hour read is fine .

I also like the basic premise in most of these stories: The male hero is ALWAYS a billionaire. Mind you – these days, circa 2020, it’s so cheap and passé and poor to be just a millionaire or a multi-millionaire. The heroes are ALWAYS BILLIONAIRES. And given that Jeff Bezos, recently, became the world’s first trillionaire, I bet the MB heroes will become trillionaires themselves!

These dudes are also – always – playboys who the heroine changes completely. They are terrific in bed and know exactly what buttons to press and give their women the best orgasms ever. Now, that may not be saying much since – again – almost always, these women are ALWAYS virgins. And really, they have no way of comparing since the hero is the only one to have touched them.

The women are always poor. Almost always. And that works for me. I mean – look – I ain’t waiting for no dude in real life to ‘save’ me with money or wit or his manliness. I can do the earning myself and the saving myself. But yeah – it’s kinda nice to lose yourself into this fantasy where even the most ordinary of us women seems to have a chance with these super hot Italian or Greek dudes.

Yes. That’s another thing. These dudes are almost always Italian or Greek (sometimes Brazilian, Argentinian) and they always speak English with a sexy accent. If I were a Brit guy – I’d feel sooo incredibly dumped since there, rarely, if ever, are Brit dudes as heroes anymore. The women are always Brits though (or Americans or Aussies or Kiwis AND WHITE) but the dudes are always these exotic ‘foreigners.’ I’m GROANING. Even as I’m writing defending reading this stuff I’m groaning at the overwhelming stereotypes that exist in these books.

Oh, well…it is what it is and for some reason – some of us women still dig it.

Sidenote: A LOT of the MBs these days are about ‘Royal Families.’ Post Meghan Markle – it’s gotten obnoxiously high in numbers. Another BIG part of the reason why I try NOT to find time to read them these days. The best part about reading these books is the escapist element that allows us poor women to dream of a stunning-looking billionaire who somehow NEVER EVER CHEATS on his normal-looking wife because he is just THAT amazing.

But when a lot of these women are Princesses to begin with – AND they end up with billionaires – where’s the escapism in that?

I mean – that shit is what happens in real life. It’s always a stunning actress (cue Meghan Markle) or a supermodel who end up wit these dudes in real life. It’s ONLY in MBs and Harlequin that women like me have even a dream of chance. So, when the heroines in MBs and Harlequin romances are Princesses themselves – it DRIVES ME F…ING CRAZY.

ANYHOO…back to this post. So, I thought – why not write a post about the 14 best MBs that I’ve ever read for February 14, Valentine’s Day.

14 on 14.

Cute no?

Let me know at the end if you agree with this list or if there are others you would add. These books are all my favorites. And I’m reasonably sure that many of them are also extremely popular with many of MB readers.

So what I’m saying with this is that even though this is a personally curated list of MY FAVORITES – these are also extremely popular with other women. So, if you decide to get your lady any/all of these books as a V-Day or any-other-day gift – you will not go wrong. That, I can guarantee.

WARNING: I’m not going to get into too many details about the plots. I want you to really let your lady discover them on her own. And then maybe she can come here and let me know what she thought of the picks.

I’m also not going too far back in time. The oldest of the books are from the 1980s. Just FYI.

So, without any further ado – let’s jump in.

1. Lynne Graham – Bond of Hatred

This one’s a classic. This book is one of the most definitive all-time favorites of not just MB readers but of other MB writers as well. It has everything. The poor heroine, Sarah. The arrogant jerk of a hero, Alex. His comeuppance at her hands. A spectacular seduction scene towards the end – not by the guy but by the girl!

Very typical you may think. But what I like about this is that the heroine is no shirking violet. She gives as good as she gets. And she makes him pay for what he does to her.

Lynne Graham is also THE writer at MBs these days. And deservedly so. While her new oeuvre is not nearly as interesting as the ones during her heyday – her books still pack a punch and I enjoy most of them.

2. Lynne Graham – Savage Betrayal

I know. Another one by Graham. What to do? Her early books are really pretty outstanding. This one can get a bit convoluted and the hero, Cesare, is probably more arrogant than ever – but he still is an endearing character whose love for his ex Mina reeks out of every belligerent pore in his body. It’s there when he argues with her incesseantly, it’s there when he ‘punishes’ her by whisking her off deep into the Italian countryside and it’s there when he reveals to her what he will do for her – the ultimate sacrifice – because there’s no way ‘she will survive’ but he will.

For all his macho and sexist BS – Cesare Falcone and Mina Caroll’s love story tugs at your hearts and, again, what he plans to do for her at the end will win over even the hardest of souls. MUST READ.

3. Julia James – His Wedding Ring of Revenge

You know you’ve arrived as a MB writer if a contemporary of yours chooses to rewrite the same plot as homage to you. I’m not sure what’s happened to James these days but for awhile – I used to look forward to each of her books when they were announced.

This theme got done repeatedly by other writers after James. The core story is what happens when the billionaire male offspring of a callous man falls in love with the daughter of said callous man’s mistress? Well, before he admits to loving her he puts her through the veritable ringer. But the story of Vito and Rachel pulsates with energy between the pages and is a must-read. Look for the little twist in the end when Vito learns the truth about his father, his mother and his father’s mistress (Rachel’s mom).

4. Julia James – Shackled By Diamonds (Book 1 of Duet)

I know. Again. But this Duet of books are f…ing awesome. In the first one – James has portrayed a lead woman – who while being a model – is still as ‘real’ as it gets. The story of Anna and Leo is extremely heart-warming and sweet. It’s also one of those few books where the woman literally has the guy by his balls. Anna is also honest and real – she is not one of those models who eats anything and doesn’t put on weight. No, she pecks at her food and will not apologize for it because she has to do what it takes to make money as a model. Anna is one of the coolest and funnest MB heroines I’ve ever read in the recent past. The end of this book is one of my favorites. Watch out for Leo as he becomes a photographer himself. MUST READ.

5. Julia James – For Pleasure or Marriage (Book 2 of Duet)

The second part of the duet is also terrific. This is the story of Vanessa (Anna’s model friend) who bumps into Leo’s cousin brother Markos. Unlike Anna, Vanessa, while being a stunner herself is a meek and crazy-in-love woman who finds that her ‘relationship’ with the love of her life, Markos, is nothing like she thought. And that moment when she discovers the truth about their relationship – she finds herself. Vanessa may have started off being meek but by the time the second half o the book rolls about – she has Markos run after her.

6. Michelle Reid – Slave to Love

I love almost ALL of her books. And I’m not sure why she doesn’t write anymore. But my favorite is Slave to Love.

This story too is pretty real as it gets. Roberta is Solomon’s secretary-cum-lover. But Solomon has an ex-wife. He also has an 18-year-old daughter. But unlike other stories where there things are either black or white – Slave to Love portrays modern relationships in all its glory – the good, bad and the very worst.

I like the relationship between Solomon and his ex-wife. While the 18-year-old daughter Lulu is a spoiled little b… – I like how Roberta refuses to cow down to the beeyotchy Lulu even as we realize that Lulu is jealous of her father’s new love and yearns for him to get together with her mom. Reid very realistically portrays what a modern family truly is – where there are ex-wives, daughters, to-be step-mothers and more. And while they all may never be the best of friends – they still find a way to co-exist. It’s a fun read and as real as it gets given it’s a Mills and Boon book.

Diana Palmer

This is another ICONIC Harlequin writer. She was my first foray into reading about romances based in America. Her books are different from the classic Mills and Boon romances. Many of her heroes are ordinary and very middle-class dudes who aren’t rich and have money problems. Many of them are not just ugly. They’re the backside-of-the-truck butt ugly and also fall in love with ordinary and plain women. The lead couple often talk about their money problems. Most of the heroes run farms or ranches and/or are cowboys.

But what’s common to ALL of Palmer’s books are how her books pulsate with energy. Now when I read some of her old books I find her heroes, frankly, abusive to her heroines. I know that. I HATE that. But I still read them because of the energy in the books. Her more recent books have male leads who are trying to move with the times and there is more gender equality among them but they don’t have nearly as much vibrancy as the old ones do.

Love her or hate her but that’s Diana Palmer for you. And despite ALL of her very palpable issues – I still love her. I find it so, so, so difficult to pick just one favorite – so I’ll pick three.

7. Diana Palmer – Regan’s Pride

The age disparity between Palmer’s leads are another matter of concern. Like in this book – Ted is 40 and Coreen is 24. Most of her leads have a massive age difference. And I hate saying this – but Ted is extremely abusive to Coreen since he thinks she did bad by her ex-husband who happened to be Ted’s cousin. But all that still doesn’t stop them from falling in love. But it comes after lots of back-and-forth fights and arguments and running away.

Major issues? Hell, yes. Still an awesome book to read? OH, HELL YES.

8. Diana Palmer – Maggie’s Dad

The story of little Maggie who is completely ignored and almost hated by her father Powell Long is a heartbreaking one. The moment when Maggie wonders why her father wouldn’t pick her up and cuddle her like other dads did – my eyes are starting to tear up, y’all.

This is another story of total and complete misunderstanding between the leads Powell Long and Antonia Hayes. And then drop in a little girl searching and yearning for love even as she goes about trying to find love in all the wrong ways? = MUST READ.

9. Diana Palmer – Heartbreaker

This one’s another of Palmer’s go-to scenarios. The heroine Tellie is an unwanted orphan. The hero J.B. brings her to his family where she is raised by them. And then the guardian falls in love with his ward. But before they get there – throw in a lot of fun supporting characters by way of his sister, his nieces, his cook and a French chef and cute dialogues and mean fights between the characters = one helluva read.

10. Robyn Donald – Captives of the Past

This Kiwi also writes pulsating and vibrant romances. Her couples throb with energy and heartache and angst. She also writes a lot of interconnected stories. Every book has characters from other books and it’s so nice to see where the others have been and are doing now.

This is the love story of Rafe and his step-sister Jennet. Rafe loves Jennet deeply but also hates her because he thinks her mother (and his step-mother) is a complete slut and so Jennet must be an amoral slut also. Drop in his half-sister about to get married to Jennet’s ex-husband into the mix and you have the makings of one angst-filled hate-spewing tirades between Rafe and Jennet. And through that hate they fall passionately in love with each other.

I know what you’re thinking. How in the actual F does any of this make sense?

Well, yeah…you have to actually READ it to GET it.

11. Carole Mortimer – Love’s Duel

This book belongs to a bygone era in MB romances. This was when British writers had heroes who were also Brit men. And this is a classic romance. What happens when a man – Giles – falls head-over-heels in love with his brother’s wife – Leonie – now a widow?

Pages and pages of pulsating and throbbing heartache and drama.

Add to the mix that he thinks she has the morals of an alley cat BUT can’t keep away from her – It’s a hell of a ride and one that starts on page 1 and doesn’t stop till the very end.

And, we, the readers are in it with them.

12. Annie West – Captive in the Spotlight

So, I’m almost 100% sure that this book came about as a result of the Amanda Knox case. Think about it. A poor English girl gets wrongly imprisoned in an Italian jail for a crime she didn’t commit. Add to that – the person killed is the brother of the lead in the story – Domenico Volpe – you know the stage is set for a dramatic meeting and falling in love between the two protagonists at the opposite end of the justice spectrum. Despite all the romance tropes that abound in the book – this story between Lucy and Domenico is still a vibrant and page-turning read.

13. Emma Darcy – No Risks, No Prizes

I really love this Aussie’s books. especially the ones from the 90s. Her stories always feature intersting and quirky men and the women are no pushovers. The relationships bewteen the characters are modern, realistic even as they’re filled with drama and intrigue.

I LOVE this book. Like, LOVE it. It’s the story of two orphan best girl friends who dream of one day having their own family. One of them succeeds and it’s at her wedding that the heroine Eden finds her own Prince Charming, Luke. From doing an imitation of the classic scene from Pretty Woman (when Julia Roberts returns to the high falutin boutiques at Rodeo Drive) to treating her with respect despite his very upper-class upbringing in Sydney – the story moves briskly. Till the twist in the middle that forces Eden to leave Luke. And despite screwing up badly and behaving in a way unbecoming of him – Luke bounces back and restores Eden’s faith in life and people. And in us.

14. Roberta Leigh – And Then Came Love

So, I take it back. This IS one of the older books from Mills and Boon’s oeuvre. But I really loved this book. This was such a twist on the classic MB trope.

Here – the woman is a posh aristocrat and he is a gruff Yorkshire man. He falls for her sleek loveliness while she tells him upfront that his money and the potential life of leisure his money would give her is the ONLY reason she was marrying him. Stella is not a lead MB character you like at the beginning. The more Matthew bends over backwards for her – the less she appreciates him – and the less we like her. And the more she remembers and yearns for her past love the more we want to slap her.

And then the day comes when she leaves Matthew and realizes how much her husband actually meant to her.

Look, y’all. We know how this story will end. It’s Mills and Boon, after all and happy endings are a given here. BUT – it’s the journey that these two characters take that makes it such a wonderful read. MUST READ.

SO – that’s my 14 for 14.

PS: There are literally hundreds more books and writers whose books I LOVE and I haven’t mentioned here. That’s not to say that these are my All-Time favorites ever. Actually, these are what I remembered right now. I still LOVE this list but there are more books and writers I love as well.

But this is a start and I hope this collection for Valentine’s Day really works for you and that your ladies appreciate them when you give them this curated collection on the Big Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day, Y’all!