Romance Novels for Hillary

If you haven't already heard, Hillary Clinton said some things about romance novels this week. I don't want to give anyone clicks for this, so I'll sum it up: she said that popular culture is full of negative portrayals of relationships between men and women. She singled out romance novels as being full of women being "thrown on a horse and ridden off into the distance."

Twitter has been full of takes on this today, but a fun one to watch (and maybe an expensive one) has been the #romancenovelsforhillary tag. Thanks to this article from author Maya Rodale, readers and authors are suggesting books for her to read that presumably don't involve abduction and do involve female empowerment. Historical romance author Megan Frampton (@meganf) suggested that we pull a list together, so here you go!

One note before we get started: it's not my job (or anyone's) to tell you what to enjoy reading. My understanding is that the romance genre requires a courtship story that results in a happy ending for the involved parties. These are very flexible guidelines and some of the resulting books do, in fact, involve abduction on horseback. Whether you like to read those books or not is totally up to you, dear reader.

(I am capping this as of 3:17 pm EST because my brain hurts.)

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@thelizlincoln suggests the novels of Ellie Cahill (@ellie_cahill) because "She's light, funny, and her heroines run their own show."

@booksandfries suggests "anything by Sarah MacLean." A bunch of other people mentioned her, too! Sarah writes historical romance and reviews romance for the Washington Post in a monthly column. She ALSO has a fabulous ongoing rec list on her website here: http://www.sarahmaclean.net/recommended/

@rg_alexander suggests the following (and we wholeheartedly agree): Alyssa Cole's Loyal League series, which consists so far of An Extraordinary Union and A Hope Divided, Tessa Dare's The Duchess Deal, Kristen Callihan'sDarkest London series, and Prime Minister, an erotic romance from Zoe York and Sadie Haller.

@eeverettwrites says: "Anything by these authors," but especially: The Forbidden Rose, by Joanna Bourne; An Extraordinary Union, by Alyssa Cole; The Lotus Palace, by Jeannie Lin; Bound by Your Touch, by Meredith Duran; and A Lady Awakened, by Cecilia Grant. Not Quite a Lady & The Last Hellion by Loretta Chase; Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale, Not Quite a Husband, My Beautiful Enemy, Private Arrangements, by Sherry Thomas; Indigo, by Beverly Jenkins; and The Duchess War, by Courtney Milan. Wanted, A Gentleman @kj_charles, Captain's Surrender, Alex Beecroft; The Soldier's Scoundrel @CatSWrites; Unnatural @ChambersJoanna

@ctinklepaugh says: "The Day of the Duchess, The Duchess Deal, A Scot in the Dark, all of the Bridgertons, The Wall of Winnipeg, The Hating Game, I could go on forever."

@lexi_smail suggests Mine to Save, by Dianna Gardin, which is "about a female computer hacker with autism who works in the male dominated field of private security. And kicks ass."

@laurakayeauthor recommends that Hillary's publisher send her some of their other authors' books: "Christina Lauren's ROOMIES (about, in part, an undocumented immigrant) or Kathleen Tucker's upcoming KEEP HER SAFE (about, in part, police corruption)."

@mayarodale (who started the tag, see above), recommends Confessions of an Arranged Marriage by the late Miranda Neville (who was a staunch Hillary supporter).

@kathrynsbarrett recommends that Hillary read Emma Barry's Washington, DC set political romances, since she's "interested in that sort of thing."

@testarossasmom says "Madame Secretary would do well to pick up King of Code by CD Reiss. Gender politics in Silicon Valley and a dying Midwest town. All about love and the strength of a woman to make things right."

@heidicullinan says: "I think she should start with A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare and Sleeping Beauty by Judith Ivory."

@author_elena_g says:  "It was books by Kristin Higgans that got me hooked on romance novels. No horses or sunsets, just relatable stories about smart, strong, funny, resilient women."

@mlawlit recommends the work of Penny Reid.

@eileenrauthor recommends Erica J Monroe's novels, which are historical romance and feature characters not in the aristocracy.

@authoremmabarry suggests: Since HRC likes mysteries, I'd rec Sherry Thomas' Lady Sherlock, Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia Grey, and Jeannie Lin's Lotus Palace. Susanna Kearsley's The Winter Sea, the Hamilton's Battalion antho, KJ Charles Think of England, and Rogue Desire/Rogue Affair anthos.