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HEA in Literature > Best "Character Driven" Romance Books

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namericanwordcat | 591 comments What are your favorites? These are books with no villains. The plots are based on who the characters are and the relationship as the plot. I just read Beast by Pepper Pace Which was a good example of this kind of book.


message 2: by Christine (new)

Christine Feldman I love The Older Woman by Cheryl Reavis, but I don't know how to post a picture of the cover.


namericanwordcat | 591 comments Thanks!


Steamywindows♥♫ (steamywindows) | 70 comments What a good suggestion namericanwordcat! I am going to have to delve a bit into my lists because the ones that come to mind just now have a villan in the plot in some form...*off to check my lists*....Steamy


namericanwordcat | 591 comments I just read Lush (Delicious, #3) by Lauren Dane which was very character driven and good.


message 6: by Leslie (new)

Leslie (chibilee02) namericanwordcat wrote: "I just read Lush (Delicious, #3) by Lauren Dane which was very character driven and good."

Got Lush on my Kindle, good to know I was right in getting it. Lol

I really thought Austentatious by Alyssa Goodnight was a great,funny, and charming read. Has a feel of a modern Austen-like story.


Steamywindows♥♫ (steamywindows) | 70 comments ok, I would count this one Breath on Embers by Anne Calhoun as a character driven story, ....LOVED it! Anne Calhoun is a fabulous writer IMHO.


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Abigail Sharpe (abigailsharpe) | 2010 comments Austentatious is on my TBR list, but not yet in my possession. (And just have to throw out that Alyssa Goodnight and I have the same agent. So I know the book's GOTTA be good. *grin*)


message 9: by Leslie (new)

Leslie (chibilee02) And it's obvious that your work Abigail has also got to be good! ^_^ Wow, small world...lol


message 10: by Abigail (new)

Abigail Sharpe (abigailsharpe) | 2010 comments Our agent has very good taste. *grin*


message 11: by Leslie (new)

Leslie (chibilee02) Just finished Wait for You (Wait for You, #1) by J. Lynn and this book definitely falls in this category. I loved it and love Cam! Lol


message 12: by namericanwordcat (new)

namericanwordcat | 591 comments I agree. This is my favorite New Adult I have read so far.


message 13: by Leslie (new)

Leslie (chibilee02) Yea, totally agree. Took me by surprise.


message 14: by Michelle (last edited Jun 05, 2013 07:56AM) (new)

Michelle (quill_n_ink) | 4 comments Leslie wrote: "I really thought Austentatious was a great,funny, and charming read. Has a feel of a modern Austen-like story. ..."

How did I miss this book?! I love a good Austenesque book! This one is def on my TBR now!


message 15: by Michelle (new)

Michelle (quill_n_ink) | 4 comments The books already listed sound great. I see my TBR shelf growing.

I'd love to add to the list. My recent favorite non-villain CRs are:
The Agreement by S.E. Lund Tangled (Tangled, #1) by Emma Chase and Wallbanger by Alice Clayton . No villains in sight, although some of the heroes are a bit caddish (at least at some point in the book).


message 16: by namericanwordcat (new)

namericanwordcat | 591 comments Cool! I have new one as well. Play With Me Romancing OliveAfter Hours


message 18: by Michelle (new)

Michelle (quill_n_ink) | 4 comments namericanwordcat wrote: "Here is the list http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/22..."

Nice! Didn't know there was an actual list. :)


message 19: by namericanwordcat (new)

namericanwordcat | 591 comments Yep, someone else started it for once! lol


message 20: by Leslie (new)

Leslie (chibilee02) Michelle (BleuTulips) wrote: "Leslie wrote: "I really thought Austentatious was a great,funny, and charming read. Has a feel of a modern Austen-like story. ..."

How did I miss this book?! I love a good Austenesque book! This o..."


Lol yea I wouldn't have known about it if it wasn't for my Amazon daily deals email. Plus there's a second book, sorta sequel Austensibly Ordinary which is on my TBR ^_^


message 21: by Leslie (new)

Leslie (chibilee02) I finished The Marriage Merger (Marriage to a Billionaire, #4) by Jennifer Probst a couple weeks ago and I was floored by the story and especially with the main couple in the book. I would highly recommend this book for it's emotional punch in the gut.


message 22: by Michelle (last edited Jul 11, 2013 12:19PM) (new)

Michelle (quill_n_ink) | 4 comments Leslie wrote: "I finished The Marriage Merger (Marriage to a Billionaire, #4) by Jennifer Probst a couple weeks ago and I was floored by the story and especially with the main couple in the book. I would highly recommend this book for it's em..."

Leslie, I've read book #1, have #2 and #3 on my TBR. Need to catch up so I can read this one!

Another one to add to the list... Breathe for Me. Breathe for Me (Be For Me, #1) by Natalie Anderson Xander was a great hero and even though there was a slow section in the middle, the story picked up and I was pleased with the direction it took and the ending.


message 23: by Leslie (new)

Leslie (chibilee02) @Michelle - I haven't read any of the previous books in the series, but I didn't feel like I missed out on anything. It was a great story on its own.

And I've read that book, and Xander was great! Good book to recommend. ^_^ Want to read the second up coming book.


message 24: by A (new)

A H I think most books by Nicholas Sparks would be perfect for this thread. I'll suggest a couple of them - The Notebook, and A Walk To Remember. Both books are by Nicholas Sparks.


Shabby Girl ~ aka Lady Victoria namericanwordcat wrote: "Here is the list http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/22..."

Namericanwordcat: Do you know if there are any lists for character driven romance historical books? I was thinking along the lines of Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas and Scandal  by Carolyn Jewel


message 26: by namericanwordcat (new)

namericanwordcat | 591 comments I have not seen any that are just historical.


Shabby Girl ~ aka Lady Victoria I'd kill for some more books like the those two...they were amazing.


message 28: by namericanwordcat (new)

namericanwordcat | 591 comments Okay! I now have a list going for you!

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/42...


Shabby Girl ~ aka Lady Victoria Thank you so much. I'll add some to it too


message 30: by namericanwordcat (new)

namericanwordcat | 591 comments ;)


message 31: by Tracey (new)

Tracey Cramer-Kelly (traceycramer-kelly) | 19 comments I like books where the "villain" is the character struggling within himself or herself. I also tend to like dramatic stories (for example a military veteran who has to come to terms with PTSD or an amputation). But for something more lighthearted check out Zoe Dawson (I read "Unleased" and enjoyed it). These types of books can be harder to write though (I should know)! Tracey Cramer-Kelly


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