My best friend has always been a little judgmental about my romance habit. Don’t get me wrong, not in a mean way, but more because I’m pretty tongue in cheek about reading romance. I’m more than happy to engage with someone on the issue of why I read romance, I happily read romance out in public, and I am not remotely ashamed of my addiction. But I’m pretty tongue in cheek about it. I tend to say to my friends who don’t read romance, “It’s the sex, that’s why I read them.” And then I roll my eyes. All that being said, when one of my friends is going on vacation, or a business trip, I’m likely to get a phone call, “Kati, can I come borrow a book?” Anyway, I digress, my best friend has always been one to read more mainstream fiction, you know, The Lovely Bones, The Time Traveler’s Wife, etc. So when she recently called me from the book store and said, “Please help me, I need to find a book I can take with me on a long weekend.” I suggested Nora Roberts. You see, she’s a former art history major, and Nora has written some really great books either about artists, art restorers, or people who work in galleries, etc. I suggested The Three Fates. A few days later, I got a call, “I loved The Three Fates. Now I need something to take on vacation.” Again I recommended Nora — Homeport, to be exact. She read it, and loved it. She just went on a business trip to Austin . I sent Just One of the Guys by Kristin Higgans with her. I got a text message from the airport, “I was crying on the plane reading that book. It was sooooo good! But I finished it! Now I have to find something else to read.”
And, there you have it. A romance reader is born.
As regular visitors to RNTV know, there is very little I love more than pimping books. When I read something I love, I gush, gush, gush. I immediately email my romance reading friends who I think might enjoy the book. I troll the web looking for others who have read the book so that I can talk about what I loved about the book. But I think it might be even more satisfying to introduce someone to romance. Someone who before reading it was maybe a little judgmental about romance. To get a call from someone loving a book I’ve recommended is as satisfying to me as sending an email to an author whose book I’ve loved telling them how much their work has moved me.
It’s almost as fun as reading the books in the first place.
Tell me, have you ever converted a non-romance reader? How did you do it? What do you think are some of the best books in romance to use for a conversion?
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Marisa
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 5:58 am:
Well MK/Kati, this is a subject near and dear to my heart. I converted Maria to romance with the book Outlander. From then on she was hooked coming to my book shelves looking for the next great romance. She only read historicals (Regency and American) at first . I threw a western her way – Jodi Thomas – and she devoured her back list. We moved on to contemporaries with Nora Roberts and then finally I convinced her to read paranormal with J.R. Ward. I’m moving her along, but some one has to do it. Actually, about three years ago she started recommending books to me. Ah, how the world turns.
I love pimping books to non-romance readers and I’ve certainly shared my recommendations when ever any one has asked me – “what are you reading?” Romance scares the crap out of people who don’t know about it – they always say ‘oh those supermarket books’ or ‘those Fabio books’. I know, I know, they’re living in the dark ages. So I pull out my secret weapons, Nora Roberts, Lori Foster, Kathryn Smith, Lisa Kleypas, Suzanne Brockmann, J.R. Ward and that’s just to name a few. Like you, I find out what kind of books they like to read, what they’re favorite genres are and the I proceed to find an author I think will cover their ‘likes’. It’s seems so simple because in today’s world of romance you pretty much have all the bases covered. There’s always a book waiting to be read and a convert waiting to be converted.
Stacy ~
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 8:21 am:
Kati is a master pimp, and if I didn’t like romance novels, I know I would by time she was through with me *g*
My RL friends either don’t read (gasp!) or they read stuff like the Oprah books (not my thing). I’ve never tried to convert anyone other than online when people ask for recs for “first timers”. I think there are plenty of books out there for those unsure of romance. With all the choices – paranormal, fantasy, suspense to name a few – there’s bound to be something to catch someone’s attention.
Though I’m sorry I don’t have many people near where I live to talk books, I have a whole online community that I adore. Places like this are a haven to me – thanx RNTV
Andrea
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 8:27 am:
I converted my sister two years ago! She scoffed a bit when I would suggest that she should try a romance (she was into mysteries). She finally said that she would try one romance to satisfy me. After much thought, I suggested The Duke and I by JQ. Needless to say, she LOVED it and wanted to read the rest of the series!
Still working on my friend Kelly. I got her to read the back of Colleen Gleason’s Gardella series and she was intrigued, but hasn’t given in … yet.
SallyR.
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 8:35 am:
I’m always looking for good recommendations and I’m always willing to give recommendations. I’m lucky than many of my friends share the same taste in books that I do and we talk to each other constantly about what we’re reading.
Last year I joined a new book club and it seemed that the book choices were all mystery or what I like to call ‘general fiction’. I suggested C.L. Wilson’s Lord of the Fading Lands and everyone loved it. Of course we got into a whole discussion about is this romance or fantasy. I of course said it was both and that there was a wealth of sub-genres in romance that they could discover. So now I get to pick the book every 6 months. Of course this time around I suggested book 3 King of Sword and Sky which is coming out soon. Next time I’ll get them into some paranormal. Any suggestions on what I should recommend to a group that has just dipped their toe into the water of romance reading?
MK/Kati
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 9:10 am:
Morning everyone! I’m loving the conversion stories! Keep them coming!
Sally, what about a Nora Roberts that has a paranormal element? Maybe the Three Sisters trilogy? Or the Key trilogy? They’re wonderful and engaging and romantic. If you’re going strict paranormal, I’d suggest Slave the Sensation by Nalini Singh. Great, well written series that builds upon itself beautifully.
SallyR.
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 10:04 am:
Oh, MK/Kati, I really loved the Three Sisters Trilogy and The Key Trilogy, what a great idea. I have Slave to Sensation on my TBR pile. I got it after Nalini visited RNTV a few weeks back and I’m chomping at the bit to read it.
Buffie
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 11:39 am:
I have never converted a non-romance reader. Well, at least not yet. Over the last several months, I have been thinking and thinking about how to get my sister hooked. She loves to read murder mystery stuff. I did give her a contemporary last year and she read it, but said there was too much sex. I asked if that was even possible!!! LOL! As most of you know, I like my books steamy. But I guess my sister doesn’t. So now I need to find some kind of romantic suspense with little sex. Any suggestions ladies?
Sally — Kati got my hooked on Nalini Singh. She kept going on and on and on about this book and I finally decided to give in and buy Slave to Sensation. I was absolutely blown away by Nalini writing and the world she created. Yesterday I finished Visions of Heat (another fabulous book!) and started on Caressed by Ice. Thursday I plan on stopping by the book store to find the next one in the series. I think you will really enjoy it!
Maya R
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 12:20 pm:
I’m a convert! My momma pestered me for months about reading romances until I finally caved and picked up The Flame And The Flower. These days, I try my best to convert my friends. Usually, we’ll be hanging out in my apartment, and their gaze will linger on my big shelf stuffed with romances. Usually they start with “can you recommend a good novel?” and then they walk out with five or six romance novels. If I’m lucky, I get them back.
Holly
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 12:30 pm:
I love all these conversion stories. Does it count if I converted myself? After years of reading just 3 authors Stephen King, James Patterson and John Grisham I ran out of books to read. So I trolled the aisles of my local library and found that Nora Roberts had this huge back list. I thought, well I’ll try one and if I like it then I’ll have months, maybe even years of reading pleasure. So that was it for me. I then went on to read all her J.D. Robb books. So I was set. That is until I discovered authors like Julia Quinn and Lisa Kleypas. The list goes on. So you could say, I converted myself.
katiebabs
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 12:31 pm:
I am trying my best to convert one of my friends who really thinks that while a woman reads a romance novel she pleasures herself. This is no joke. Unless there is something I don’t know…
LeeAnn
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 1:01 pm:
I don’t think I’ve ever converted anyone but I did get one of my co-workers hooked on Jean Johnson
) I think when she’s done with the series I might let her borrow my Key Trilogy.
Carolyn Jean
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 1:12 pm:
This is such a great topic. I was converted on a combination of Outlander and Bitten. I highly recommend Bitten as a crossover – it is extremely well written from a technical point of view, so it won’t jar people used to really literary stuff. Like I was.
OMG, I used to be such a snob about books. Forget romance, for years coming out of college, I wouldn’t even consider reading anything published after 1950. I softened on that eventually, but I was so picky. And romance was like planet Neptune. And frankly, I have no RL friends who read romance. In fact, most of my RL friends are highly literary and writers, so it’s like I’ve gone over the the dark side. My friend who gave me Outlander and Bitten is mostly only interested in literature and chicklit. I look at my literary-only friends and I feel sorry for them in terms of reading habits, because I think reading romance has totally improved my life. I have more pleasure and entertainment in my life, and more fun, and my relationship is better, too. I only wish I’d started sooner.
I have tried to convert a few friends, or at least widen their scope – 2 who were pregnant and asked me to recommend fun and transporting reads. I supplied them with those two books, but they came back unread (I suspect uncracked) with mumbles about the books not being right for them. I think they were sort of embarrassed on my behalf.
Carolyn Jean
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 1:14 pm:
Oh, and I guess when I say romance, I mean with all subgenres – paranoramal, UF, futuristic, historicals etc
MK/Kati
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 2:01 pm:
CJ – I have friends who look down on what I read too. And really, I’ve gotten to the point where it doesn’t bother me anymore. I mean, romance sells better than any other genre of fiction, if I’m not mistaken. So, what? We’re ALL wrong?? I don’t think so.
Maria Lokken
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 2:25 pm:
Yes, I was converted by my sister and I have never looked back.
I’ve never had anyone look down on me because I read romance. But maybe that’s because they know I wouldn’t stand for it. I mean really, there are so many more things a person could look down on. Murder, mayhem, and general stupidity come to mind.
PJ
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 3:09 pm:
I belong to a neighborhood book club. Most of the women in the club like Oprah type books and consider romance novels “fluff”. Why would someone want to read dark, depressing books all the time? Don’t we get enough of that on the news? There are a couple women in the club who have come to me to borrow books (romances) to take on vacation but I doubt they’d ever admit to it in front of the others. I read what I like and don’t much care if others think I’m reading “fluff” or not. I know better.
Gannon
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 3:17 pm:
PJ, I’m with you on the dark, depressing novels. There’s enough of that in the news. When I read, I want a story I can get lost in and be assured of a HEA! If people don’t like what I’m reading, too bad. I know that I’m in very good company. Some of the smartest women I know read and write romance!
orannia
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 5:03 pm:
There have been some great conversion stories posted
I have sort of converted a couple of people. I say ’sort of’ as I’m still in the process *grin* My cunning plan is to tempt them with stories that cross genres. For example, the receptionist at work LOVES fantasy. So I introduced her to Anne Bishop’s Black Jewel trilogy and CL Wilson’s Fae series, which she loved….and now I have introduced her to JD Robb…and she is hooked! It a slow process, but so much fun 
Oh, and when I was at the doctor’s yesterday I asked the doctor’s receptionist how she was going with the Anne Bishop books (I pimped those to her). She has read them all and is awaiting Nalini Singh’s Slave to Sensation…
orannia *who would happily talk about books all day*
heidenkind
on Sep 22nd, 2008
@ 5:14 pm:
I’ve converted my mom, sort of. It actually started with the Harry Dresden Files, which I recommended she read and she got totally addicted to. So then she was looking for something in the same vein, and I was like, “Why not Patricia Briggs?” From there it was a short leap to paranormal romance like Jennifer Armintrout (sp?), etc.
She still sticks mainly to paranormals, although I did convince her to read Jade Lee’s The Dragon Earl this weekend (incredibly awesome book, btw).
Jessica
on Oct 23rd, 2008
@ 4:27 pm:
I was recently converted myself. The “gateway drug” that got me hooked was He Typed. She Typed., which I received as a birthday gift from a friend who had heard about the book on the Dr. Drew radio show. At first I couldn’t believe I was reading a book with a pink cover, but I soon got over myself and was completely sucked into the storyline of these two characters writing back and forth to each other. The back of the book lists a website, He Typed. She Typed.
Now the only question is… what do I read next?!