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Hey y’all, it’s PN again. I hope you’re all doing well today. I know that the tension of four years came to a head last week. Thanks to social media, I’ve read about how the cracks that were developing in some of my friends’ relationships with their families finally broke completely apart.
I’m not here to say that you have to forgive anyone for anything. Nor do you have to put up with the presence of anyone you do not want in your life. That’s not healthy at all, since there are legitimate reasons some people don’t talk to their parents. However, for me it is still a bit sad to see parents and children no longer on speaking terms because of an individual who doesn’t care one iota for them. I know a lot of that sentiment has to do with my own parents being gone. So, I don’t even have the option of having these types of disagreements with them (although, for what it’s worth, I don’t think I would be).
That’s why for this week’s recommendations, I’m going to focus on romance series centered around healthy families. I won’t say that a certain Netflix show (see below) didn’t also influence this. But a lot of it also has to do with wanting to give suggestions for those readers who, for whatever reason, may be separated from their own and want to read about some loving families out there.
Malory-Anderson Family series by Johanna Lindsey
First, I’m going to start with Johanna Lindsey’s Malory-Anderson Family series series. I don’t remember if Lindsey was my first romance author (it’s between her and Linda Lael Miller), but I do know her Malory series were the first books I read that centered around a family. And I still enjoy them to this day. Most of the books would be classified as ‘old school,’ so fair warning there. But I still enjoy them. Gentle Rogue, and by extension James, is probably my favorite to be honest although they are all endearing in their own right. The only reason Warren is not up there is because he’s an Anderson.
Le Veq Family series by Beverly Jenkins
If you want to read some Beverly Jenkins (and why wouldn’t you) you have the option of either the Le Veq or Grayson families. Both families are made up of strong, independent, and proud men and the equally fierce women who love them. While both series are small in comparison to some of the others on this list, that in no way diminishes their excellence. For the Le Veq family, I recommend Through the Storm since it focuses a lot on forgiveness, which is something that is important in any relationship. There are only two in the Grayson series which are Vivid, which I mentioned last week, and Jewel, which is a friends to marriage of convenience set-up. Any are swoon worthy though.
Westmoreland series by Brenda Jackson
Brenda Jackson’s Westmoreland series is also a good pick up, especially if you like Black cowboys as they appear to feature dominantly in the later books. I’m honest enough to admit that I found something undeniably attractive about a man who works with his hands. And the Westmorelands more than fit the bill by being wealthy ranchers. While I know I have read Brenda before, I haven’t read any of these yet (shame!) so I can’t give a personal recommendation for which one to start with. But it’s one of my goals for this year, among other things. If you want to read in order, then Delaney’s Desert Sheikh would be the way to go.
Byrons of Braebourne series by Tracy Anne Warren
Going back to Regency, you have Tracy Anne Warren’s Byrons of Braebourne series. These are the tales of another influential family and how they fall in love. My favorite in this one is At the Duke’s Pleasure. It’s about an arranged marriage in this series as well which, of course, ends up in a happily ever after. Because it’s been said before but I’ll say it again; if there isn’t an HEA it isn’t a romance. There are five books, plus a novella, in the original series plus three spin-offs that center around the younger siblings we were introduced to in the earlier books.
Jess and Trisha are back with the first When in Romance podcast of the year! It’s been about a month since that last one and I have missed hearing these two discuss romance. They naturally discuss the Bridgertons since, much like Lady Whistledown’s gossip, this Regency family is still on everyone’s lips. They also discuss their reading plans for 2021. Oh and Happy Podcast Anniversary y’all!!
If you’re looking for Bridgerton read-a-likes, check out this list of recommendations. Or, if you want to stay in that world, check out this helpful reading pathway guide. This includes all the books in the original series as well as the prequels. It also includes spin-offs, revolving around the Smythe-Smith family. They weren’t in the TV series, at least not yet, but their annual musicale is the focus of many scenes in the book series.
That’s all for now friends. Remember you can follow me over on Twitter @Pscribe801. Until next time!