Times are a changin’ for me because there used to be a time when Holly would pimp these books on me and then I’d look them up online, see the covers and say, “Sure, sure, sounds good Holly” but she would know, just as I would know, that I wasn’t going to touch the book, let alone buy the book because the covers are… how should I say this….not cute.
Holly has slaved over trying to get me to read a Harlequin, not for weeks, not for months…but for years and it was just a habit of mine to breeze right over her gushing about this book and that book and this author and that author. I just wasn’t interested, I could not buy a book that I did not like the cover on. All of my favorite authors have been blessed with great looking covers so I didn’t blink about buying and reading their books. My whole theory was there are so many good books out there with pretty covers that I didn’t have to use my money for ugly books.
I know, snob, right?
I shudder at how snobbish I was.
But, I stand (or actually I sit) before you right now a changed woman.
I, Rowena of Book Binge, have finally read my first Harlequin Presents book and I liked it a lot.
And that’s not all, I have a whole grip of HP’s that I will be reading…and because I know she’s not going to shut up until I do, I have to give credit where credit is due. I’d like to publicly thank Holly for never giving up on me. I’d like to thank her for showing me that you really can’t judge a book by it’s cover because there are treasures hidden behind some of the covers I’ve turned away and I know better now.
I won’t be making the snobbish mistake I made before. I know what I’m missing out on now and I won’t ever turn away these little gems, the HP’s that I’ve read have been pretty great so far so …I’m excited for more.
Let me ask you. Are you a cover snob? Do you need me to sic Holly on you to make you change your ways? haha…what was your first HP and what HP book made you love this line of books?
Oh no…HPs are like potato chips. You can’t read just one. Nope. I picked up my first one nearly three years ago and have since read hundreds. And now I write them. (also, I happen to *like* the covers…. 🙂 ) But I will admit to avoiding romance novels until adulthood because Fabio scared the bejabbers out of me.
Good luck with your new addiction. You’ll never regret it.
What was the title of the HP book that made you a convert?
I was a Harlequin snob too, but now I am addicted to Super Romance! I think that is the amazing thing about HQ: they have so many imprints and I think that most romance readers can find one to suit their tastes!
I cut my romance reading teeth on HPs and catagory roms. Susan Napier, Karen Van Der Zee & Michelle Reid were my most favorite.
I can’t recall my very first HP but I know one of the oldest HPs on my keeper shelf is “Something In Return,” by Karen Van Der Zee, 1994, I think. Love it!
Not a cover snob, but definitely a title snob. I think that’s what gets me about most HPs. I don’t want to read about millionaires, tycoons, or pregnant mistresses. But I read a few HQNs without realizing it, so now at least I’m not a Harlequin snob generally.