By Kate Cuthbert, Guest Contributor & Managing Editor of Harlequin Australia’s digital-first imprint, Escape Publishing
When approached to put together a list of 10 anything, I tend to have a panic attack. How to choose? How to pare down, whittle, sift through the thousands of choices? Thankfully, this is a list of Must-Read, not Best-Ever, which means I get to talk about books I loved, one of my favourite things to do. So, without further ado:
Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie
While Crusie’s Bet Me is often held up as a perfect contemporary romance, this is my go-to book when putting together a ‘conversion pack’ (books to give a non-romance reader to convince them of the general fabulousness of the romance genre). Funny, smart, involved, and sure to convince you of the amazing versatility of a good frying pan.
See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson
There’s a lot to love about sports romances, and this is one of the originals and the best. Hockey star, sports reporter, opposites attract, and a relationship that melts ice.
To Die For by Linda Howard
Vintage Linda Howard is a goldmine, but this one is a personal favourite – funny, suspenseful, with a (sometimes a tiny little bit overwrought) message about not judging by appearances, plus a truly gorgeous beta hero.
Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
The second sports story on the list, though it should be noted that, of the Chicago Stars series, this one is light-on with the football (the hero is a sports agent). It is, however, full-on with the sexy and the fun and the happy feelings.
Victoria Dahl’s Tumble Creek Trilogy
One of my favorite authors, and the author I hand to my authors when they need to know about building sexual tension, is also an excellent example of social media done right. This is her first contemporary trilogy, set in a small mountain town, and it’s fabulous.
The Chocolate Kiss by Laura Florand
As close to a perfect novel as possible, The Chocolate Kiss mixes food, Paris, adorable secondary characters, and an enemies-to-lovers storyline that will give you all the tummy tingles.
Ride with Me by Ruthie Knox
Ruthie Knox is a fresh, fun voice in romance, and this is a great twist on the road-trip trope.
Lick by Kylie Scott
The Australian author that’s making all the best-seller lists, Kylie Scott’s rock star romances are setting readers on fire. This is the first in the series, and it’s seriously addictive.
Floored by Ainslie Paton
Ainslie is doing things in the contemporary romance space that I’m not seeing anywhere else. I can’t get enough of her titles, her whip-smart writing, her fully rounded characters, and her deep emotional stories.
Risky Business by Amy Andrews
This is a really accessible title about an extreme sports star, an accountant, a second-hand bookstore, and a lovely friends-to-lovers storyline.
About Kate Before starting as Managing Editor of Harlequin Australia’s digital-first imprint, Escape Publishing, Kate Cuthbert worked with genre fiction, children’s books, mass market publishing, magazine, and corporate and academic publishing, and as a book reviewer for All About Romance, the Brisbane Courier-Mail, and the New York Journal of Books. She absolutely loves that she gets to read romance for a living.
Escape Publishing aims to connect readers all around the world with fresh and exciting stories they’ll love. Their books are available globally, from all good e-tailers, and are DRM and geographic-restriction free. They are always open for submissions, and you can find out more here: www.escapepublishing.com.au