So Labor Day weekend, while the kids were swimming and my sisters and I were unwinding from our hellish day in the sun, we got to talking about romance novels. A topic, I never shy away from. If someone is going to bring up reading and romance novels, I will talk their ears off and this weekend, my sisters Blanche and Delene can attest to this. Because talk their ears off, I did. You see, what brought up this topic was my sister Delene told me that she finally read Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught, a book that I’ve lent to her over two years ago. I have multiple copies of this book so it didn’t bother me that she kept my book for more than two years but I was surprised that it took her so long to actually read it. What she had to say about the book triggered the topic of this post.
She said that it took her under three nights to finish this book, she loved it that much and by the time she got to the end of the book, she couldn’t control the tears that were falling unchecked down her face as she read the scene where Ian finally finds Elizabeth and he turns her words on her to try to win her back into his arms. It’s a heartbreaking scene that never fails to bring tears to my eyes. The entire book was just completely well written in my opinion and even though both the hero and the heroine made idiotic decisions that would have driven even a saint crazy, I still felt like the book was perfect the way it was. I loved the emotions that Judith McNaught was able to envoke in me and I completely agree with Delene when she said, “This book was easily one of my top 3 tear jerker books!”
I remember crying like crazy over Ian and Elizabeth, I shared in their heartbreak and I shared in their burdens…okay, or maybe I’m just a sappy love sick woman who needs to get a grip on reality but whatever, this book made me cry buckets and it’s totally in my Top 3 Tear Jerker Books but having that talk with my sister made me think of other books that have made me cry like crazy over the characters, the storyline or just all of it bunched together in one.
Here is my list:
1. Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught…for all of the reasons that I’ve listed above.
2. Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern…this is the book that I bawled buckets over because I just totally connected with both Rosie and Alex’s character and for them to keep missing each other had me gritting my teeth in agigtation but also had me hopeful that they would eventually get it right…and they did and I was glad for it even though it took them forever and two days, this book was heartwarming, touching and oh so good, a great tearjerker book that had me escaping into Alex and Rosie’s world every time I picked up the book!
3. Dance with the Devil by Sherrilyn Kenyon. …now I know that this book is in a series that I think totally went downhill but this book came out as I was in love with the series and in love with the hero of this book especially. Zarek of Moesia. I remember when I read this book for the first time, so many times throughout the book, I couldn’t see the words because my tears were in the way. I felt so bad for Zarek and (shut up, Holly…you too, Izzy, LOL) I totally cried my way through his book…from the way he was treated as a human and then the way he was treated while being a Dark Hunter made my heart cry out to him and want to soothe his inner beast, gosh I remember loving that book so much and this is totally one of my top 3 tear jerker books of all time…
I’m sure there are many more but for right now, this is my list…the books that I remember crying with all that I was at the time, let’s see what books the other girls were crying like babies over, shall we???
Crybaby Casee’s list:
Paradise by Judith McNaught: The only Judith McNaught book that hasn’t made me cry is Someone to Watch Over Me. From the remaining JM books, the one that sticks out the most is Paradise. It doesn’t matter how many times I read this book, every time I get to the part where Meredith tells Matt the truth about their baby, my eyes start getting misty.
When Mer tells Matt about the tiny white casket and asks him if he thinks that her father made sure there were pink roses at the funeral, the tears start coming. Judith just has a way of making the reader feel her characters emotions. For me, there’s not another author that can engage my emotions the way that Judith McNaught can. I also agree w/ everything Rowena mentioned about Almost Heaven.
Lady of the West by Linda Howard: Everytime I re-read this book, it’s like I’m reading it for the first time. When I get to the part where Celia is trampled to death by Rubio, the tears start flowing. They don’t really stop flowing until after Victoria goes into the barn and opens the stall so Rubio can run away. Throughout the entire book, Victoria and Emma’s desperation to protect Celia comes through loud and clear. To lose her in such a senseless accident somehow it even worse.
This is one of my favorite westerns of all time, and I’m not a huge fan of westerns.
Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch: When a good friend of mine told me to get this book to read to my kids, she also told me that it would make me cry. I highly doubted that. It’s a children’s book, fcol. I had doubts that a 10 page illustrated book could bring me to tears. Well, I was wrong. Love You Forever is a book about a mother who is always there for her son. The book illustrates the mother singing to the boy from infancy to adulthood. It shows that no matter what our age, we need out mothers. Then it shows that the day will come when the roles are reversed and it is the child taking care of the mother. My daughter always looks at me like I’m crazy b/c she just doesn’t understand how a book can make me cry. I always tell her “just wait”.
Like Rowena, I’m sure there are more, but these are the ones that stick out the most.
Izzy Says:
I suck, because I cannot think of a single book that made me cry. But I can remember some books that made me misty eyed.
1) As Always, Jack by Emma Sweeney. The author finds her father’s love letters after going through her mom’s stuff. You see, Emma never knew her dad. He died before she was born. Emma doesn’t even know if he knew about the pregancy. Jack and Bebe (Emma’s parents) met a dance during WWII. He’s about to head out to the pacific so he asks Bebe to take care of some stuff for him An excuse to keep in contact with her. Then we see all the letters he wrote to Bebe and you read about them falling them in love. The last part of the book is Emma finding a final letter from Jack written before his last mission. He writes about his love for Bebe and that he knows about the pregancy. Jack did know Emma was going to born. The feelings Emma felt when she read that letter, I can’t really describe. LIke a sense of peace and happiness that her father knew about her. I felt those too because i was like… YAY! He did know. This was a happy/awww misty eyed book for me.
2) PS I love you by Cecelia Ahern. This one is about a husband who knows he’s dying so he writes letter to his wife. One for each month. And each letter has a task for her do (It’s been a while since I read the book so names are escaping me) to help her move on. There is a scene where the herione’s friends announce a pregancy and an engagment. Leading lady is happy for her friends, but she feels sad and lonely. Like they are all moving on without her. . I guess what made it sad for me is I kept thinking about my hubby. What if something happened to him? How would react in leading lady’s shoes.
Let’s take the questions to our readers…
What books are in your Top Three Tearjerker Pile?
Bring on the sad stories, I wanna read them! =)
Man I cry at the drop of hat- more so movies than books but there a number of books that do it for me.
the first that comes to mind is a children’s book by Max Lucado called “You Are Special” (actually it’s a series now but this one is the first and best imo.) I gave each one of my nieces and nephews PLUS cousins kiddos these for their showers- and I read them to them as little ones. I think what makes me cry when I read it to them with their little bodies snuggled up against me, is the fact that if ever they were to feel like Punchinello, the little wemmick who couldn’t do anything right, my heart would just break. So yeah, thats my first tear jerker.
Second? hmmm Probably The Bronze Horseman. Tour de force that one!
and the third- A Knight in Shining Armor? Other Devereauxs? A Mcnaught? Definitely. Oh I know, one that really got me was a LH too- it was at the end of Chance Mackenzie’s story (A Game of Chance) when Wolf tells Chance that if he could have had his pick of all the kids in the world to adopt- he still would have picked Chance? OH MAN did I ball my eyes out!
Zeek — I just got TBH last week and now I’m waiting on the second book in that series before I start on them.
Hmm, like Zeek, I cry at the drop of a hat. I’m currently reading CAINE’S RECKONING by Sarah McCarty and although I have not fully cried, I have been misty-eyes and choked up with what I’ve read so far.
This is so hard! I have to think….and open BYRON…lol…..
ALWAYS TO REMEMBER by Lorraine Heath. Boy did this one make me cry, I felt so sorry for the hero in it at times and bawled my eyes out several times while reading it.
SWEET BABY by Sharon Sala. This one had me crying a lot when I read it and the scene where the heroine found out what really happened to her mother? Heart-wrenching.
Ohhh, this is so hard…one more….
ANNIE & THE OUTLAW by Sharon Sala. Loved this one and I go back and reread it a lot but still it makes me cry like a baby even though I know what’s going to happen. 🙂
Good topic! I know there are some books that I’ve gotten choked up over, and some definite tear jerkers but I’m completely blanking. Will have to think about it.
I recently cried like a baby at several point during HP7, and there was something I was reading at work (kid’s book) that made me worried a patron was going to approach. Oh why I am blanking? Must think.
The most recent was Broken by Megan Hart.
Another one that I can think of is The Greek’s Christmas baby by Lucy Monroe from the Harlequin presents line.
Chantal — oh yeah, I agree about Lucy’s book! That happened to me too.
OMG! How could I forget this one…PARTING GIFTS by Lorraine Heath. Another one I like to go back to and reread and still bawl like a baby even though I *know* what’s going to happen in it…love, love, love it! 🙂
I’m cheating, I know, but here’s another that had me in tears…
PROMISES PREVAIL by Sarah McCarty
Hmm. good question. I don’t know any of Casee’s or Isabel’s titles, so I’ll have to check those out some day. As far as my list (off the top of my head)…
1) Almost Heaven by JM
2) Harry Potter last book (LOL)
3) New Moon (right when Edward left)
-Daphne
The first romance book to ever make me cry was Tapestry by Karen Ranney. It’s a real tearjerker. Another one is Sweet Lullabye by Lorraine Heath. Those are my top two.
Zeek,
I’ve still got to read Chance’s story, I haven’t finished reading that series but dude, I loved Wolf and Joe’s story. I’m gonna have to check it out.
A Knight in Shining Armor made you cry? I was really sad when everything went down with Nicholas but after I finished it, I was spitting mad, I couldn’t believe that JD went that route, I was not a happy camper with that story…Ugh. There are some JM’s that have made me bawl my eyes out for sure, I’ve mentioned one in my three, but another one that had me sobbing like a baby was Something Wonderful by JM. That scene at the end when Jordan is begging Alex to come back to him? O EM GEE! BAWLING!
*****
Mad,
I haven’t read any of those books but I’m going to have to check it out because lately I’ve wanted to cry like a baby, I’m retarded but hey, whatev! =)
Another crier here! Oh my goodness…I cry at just about everything but for a real soul retching sobbing experience, I can’t go past The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger and My Best Friend’s Girl by Dorothy Koomson.
For a third book….there is too much choice, but TBH is right up there!
hmmm, I’m usually a crier when I read, but at the moment, can’t think of any books ^^; I know that Sharon Sala makes me cry a lot (Out of the Dark, Sweet Baby… soooo sad!!) and Katherine Stone as well… hmmm, think of it, I havne’t cried a lot recently ^^;
KristieJ — I cried at SWEET LULLABY too but only for the hero. I *hated* the heroine and kept waiting for someone else to come along to fall in love with the hero because he deserved so much better than her. He truly loved her but I never did feel that she loved him as much in return.
Rowena — Just had to let you know that I went to BAM a bit ago, in the middle of running errands for hubby, and I picked up the Ahern book you mentioned plus 2 more by her. 🙂
I really want to read Love, Rosie now. I’m not sure I’ll get to it this month though.
I’m only on page 80 in A Lady of the West (I’m really liking it so far!) ~ now I’m just sad knowing what happens to Celia. 🙁
I know I tear up quite a bit, or get kind of misty eyed, but there have only been a handful of books that made me cry like a baby. Unfortunately, I can’t think of any. LOL
Bridge to Terabithia is one. Gosh, I cried for DAYS after reading that book…the first time and each subsequent time. *sigh*
Otherwise, I just can’t recall.
Devon,
No worries, Holly blanked out and couldn’t think of any tearjerkers which is why she doesn’t have a list on the post so you’re in good company sweets! =)
Chantal,
Izzy just read Broken and I want to read some Lucy Monroe, so I’ll definitely put that title on my list of books to read sometime in the near future! =)
Mad,
I’m totally adding all of these titles to my list, thanks so much for the pimps! =)
Daph,
I’m totally right there with you on Almost Heaven and New Moon, my heart broke for Bella but more for Edward too! LOVE THOSE BOOKS!
Kristie J,
I’ve never heard of those books, I’m gonna have to check those out, goodness my list is going to triple in size thanks to you guys! 😉
Marg,
More books that I’ve never heard of, gotta put them on the list!! Thanks for stopping by.
Nath,
I don’t remember when the last new book that I’ve read made me cry, it’s been awhile, the only book that I remember bawling through was Love, Rosie but it wasn’t because the book was sad but more so it reminded me of a bad experience I went through, that’s all…
Mad,
Cecelia Ahern writes a lot of sad stories…the PS I Love You story is really sad, I want to read that one, I’ve heard nothing but good things about it and I really enjoyed Love, Rosie so I hope you do too! Happy reading sweets!
Dev,
Whenever you read it, let me know, I wanna know how you liked it! Ooh I can’t wait to see what you think of A Lady of the West, that’s by Linda Howard right? I wanna read that one!
I recommend DEAR JOHN by Nicholas Sparks. He’s the same guy who wrote the notebook and although I’ve only seen the film i was definitely tearing at that.
This book is truly heart-wrenching and I couldn’t put it down after reading the Prologue.
Definitely worth reading though
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nicholas sparks books alaways makes me cry…
The Notebook, A walk to Rememeber, etc…really all his books are tearjerkers…
One Day by david nichols too..
and a children book BRIDGE TO THERABITHIA (?)…
Everyone must read Francine Rivers “Redeeming Love”. Amazing tear jerking romance that you will never forget.
I am writing down some of the titles here. Here are some of mine:
Barbara Delinsky – Three Wishes
Linda Howard – Sarah’s Child (not a tearjerker – but gutwrencing ending)
Jason F. Wright – The Christmas Jars and The Christmas Jars Miracle – need to get my hand on the Children’s one – Penny’s Christmas Jar Miracle. Check out the link to find out what the Miracle of the Jars are all about:
http://www.ChristmasJars.com
Kristin Hannah – Home Again
Anything by Nicholas Sparks but lately The Best of Me
Will probably be back again to list some more.
And definitely agree with Lorraine Heath’s older books listed here – wonderful tearjerker reads.
I have to check to see if read the McNaught book mentioned. I read several of hers.
I saw the PS I Love you movie and cried my eyes out. Have to get the Rosie one. Will be writing down lots of titles. Thanks for the post.