NPR Survey: "Happy Ever After: 100 Swoon-Worthy Romances."

Which Paranormal Romances Are the Most Popular? 

Which Ones Missed the List?

I am late in posting this review, but better late than never. Near the end of July, National Public Radio (NPR) published "Happy Ever After: 100 Swoon-Worthy Romances," an on-line compilation of top romance fiction in various categories based on listeners' responses. According to NPR, "Back in June we asked you to tell us about your favorite romantic reads, and you responded in droves. (We had to shut the poll down early after more than 18,000 nominations flooded in!) Once the votes were tallied, we turned to our expert panel...to help us break down the categories and shape the final list into a love story for the ages." Click HERE to read the list with all of the cover art. Click HERE for a printable list of the authors and titles, without the cover art.

You'll have to scroll about half-way down the page to find the Science Fiction and Fantasy winners, and even further down for the Paranormal selections. As I expected, the list omits some top-notch paranormal romance novels and series, but that is always the case with general genre lists. Still, it's fun to see which of your favorites made it into the top ranks. 

Here are the supernatural-related winners. You can click on any pink-link title to go directly to my review.

                    SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY                    
     > Nalini Singh: PSY-CHANGELING SERIES (terrific series—just keeps getting better as it nears the end)

     > Meljean Brooks: IRON SEAS SERIES (one of the best steampunk romance series of all time)

     > Ilona Andrews: KATE DANIELS SERIES (well-developed primary and secondary characters, inventive mythology, and enthralling plots—a wonderful series)

     > Bettie Sharpe: Ember (2001 digital download; a novella that gives the Cinderella fairy tale a dark twist)

     > N. K. Jemisin: THE INHERITANCE TRILOGY (a fantasy trilogy published in 2010-2011 that includes these novels: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, The Broken Kingdoms, and The Kingdom of Gods)

     > Lois McMaster Bujold: A Civil Campaign: A Comedy of Biology and Manners (first published in 1999; book 12 of her MILES VORKOSIGAN SAGA; an homage to Georgette Heyer's novel A Civil Contract) 

     > Sharon Shinn: Archangel (published in 1996; the angel Gabriel meets his match in a beautiful, but feisty, slave girl who refuses to bend to his will.)

     > Johanna Lindsey: Warrior's Woman (an old-school classic first published in 1996; futuristic, intergalactic space romance)

                    PARANORMAL                    
     > Darynda Jones: CHARLEY DAVIDSON SERIES 

NOTE: I am amazed that this one made the list because the heroine is such an airhead, and the stories are crammed with far too many over-the-top, not-very-funny one-liners and ridiculously silly situations.

     > J. R. Ward: BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD SERIES 

NOTE: Although I have read and enjoyed many of the books in Ward's series, I have, to my continuing regret, failed to keep up with the series enough to do it justice in an ongoing review.

    > Kresley Cole: IMMORTALS AFTER DARK SERIES 

NOTE: This series has all of the elements that I look for in a paranormal romance: intricate and compelling plots, a cohesive series story arc, and—usually—a twist at the end. And Nïx is one of my favorite paranormal characters ever.

     > Karen Marie Moning: FEVER SERIES 

NOTE: If you like complex plots that involve the complicated relationships among the Fae, you'll enjoy this series. The characters are well developed and the series story line moves in a steady line towards the satisfying conclusion in the final book. Warning: You should start with the very first novel because Moning answers no questions and provides no resolution to countless mysteries until the end of Shadowfever, the final novel. 

   > Susanna Kearsley: The Winter Sea 

NOTE: This is an historical romance with a touch of the supernatural. It was published in 2008 and features a female writer who makes a mysterious psychic connection with a woman who lived and died centuries ago.

    > Patricia Briggs: Cry Wolf (first book in her ALPHA & OMEGA SERIES) 

NOTE: Cry Wolf is a perfect paranormal romance with exactly the right balance of action, suspense, and lust. I love the A&O novels as much as I love Briggs's MERCY THOMPSON urban fantasy series, which takes place in the same world.

    > L. A. Banks: VAMPIRE HUNTRESS SERIES 

NOTE: This is a 12-book series that follows a young woman named Damali Richards, who is a spoken-word artist but is also the Neteru, a human who is born once every thousand years to fight the Dark Realms. Her most dangerous and most constant enemy from The Dark Realms are vampires. I can't explain why I never read this series—I guess it just slipped through the cracks in my to-read shelf.

    > Sherrilyn Kenyon: DARK-HUNTERS SERIES 

NOTE: I agree that Kenyon's earlier DARK-HUNTER novels are terrific, but the more recent ones are stale wannabes when compared with the first dozen novels. The more recent books are filled with recycled romantic angst, increasingly (and needlessly) complex plot lines, and far too much stomach-churning violence and vile cruelty. Here's what I said in my ongoing review post for this series: "When Styxx appeared, I was so disgusted by the constant scenes of horrific degradation and abuse that I didn't finish reading it, which meant that I didn't review it. At this point, I would rather remember the series in its earlier years when the characters were mostly appealing; when the love stories were angst-filled but not blood-soaked; and when the plots were filled with suspense, drama, and wise-cracking humor."

                    SERIES THAT SHOULD HAVE MADE THE LIST                    

Here are a few paranormal romance series that—although omitted from NPR's compilation—still make my "best-of" list. I have listed them alphabetically, by author's last name. Which novels/series would you add?

Nina Bangs: CASTLE OF DARK DREAMS SERIES
Delphine Dryden: STEAM AND SEDUCTION SERIES
Jeaninne Frost: NIGHT HUNTRESS, NIGHT HUNTRESS WORLD, and NIGHT PRINCE
Thea Harrison: ELDER RACES SERIES
Larissa Ione: DEMONICA and LORDS OF DELIVERANCE
Angela Knight: MAGEVERSE SERIES
Devon Monk: AGE OF STEAM SERIES and BROKEN MAGIC SERIES 
and HOUSE IMMORTAL TRILOGY (the final novel is due in September)
Lindsey Piper: DRAGON KINGS SERIES
Nalini Singh: GUILD HUNTER SERIES

Rachel Vincent: UNBOUND TRILOGY 

     PARANORMAL ROMANCE SERIES WITH THE MOST HITS ON MY BLOG     

Christine Feehan: CARPATHIAN SERIES 

NOTE: The earlier books are the best, back when her heroes weren't so sadistically cruel. Zacarius from Dark Predator is the worst "hero" ever.

Heather Killough-Walden: LOST ANGELS SERIES 

NOTE: This series isn't one of my favorites, but it gets a lot of traffic on my blog.

Lora Leigh: BREEDS SERIES

NOTE: Although this series is past its peak, no one can deny that Leigh has created a terrific mythology that includes a male genetic trait that really amps up the bedroom scenes. 

Gena Showalter: LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD SERIES

NOTE: Showalter is a great story teller, and she packs her action-filled stories about 12 cursed warriors with suspense, betrayal, deception, lust, angst, and plenty of snarky humor. 

Christine Warren: THE OTHERS

NOTE: This one concluded in 2013, but it still holds up—lots of action, steamy romance, and snarky humor.

                    ADDITIONAL READING                    

Typical Fabio
Cover Shot

Mentioned in the "Comments" section of the NPR post are two nonfiction books about romance fiction. I have read the first one—Beyond Heaving Bosoms—it is hilariously accurate, particularly the authors' dissection of the traits of the heroes and heroines and their sardonic analysis of the stereotypical, bare-chested, Fabio-esque cover art.

     > Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bi***es Guide to Romance Novels, by Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan. Click HERE to go to its Amazon.com page.

     > Dangerous Books for Girls: the Bad Reputation of Romance Novels, Explained, by Maya Rodale. Click HERE to go to its Amazon.com page. (I just put this one on my Kindle.)

You might also enjoy reading a 2014 article from Entertainment Weekly magazine entitled "Love, Sex & Money: A Billion-Dollar Affair." Click HERE to read my review of that article, which contains a link to the full text as well as a few links to related on-line content, both audio and print.