Books Rowena Would Hate If She Read Them Now

This month, Holly, Casee and I are sharing the books we liked back in the day that we would probably hate if we read them now. You know, the books that used to make our hearts race and then sigh happily but because we’re older, we’re different and our tastes have changed, we know that if we were to try reading these books now, our reading experience would not be the same.

When I first started reading romances, I was young and I loved historical romances. They were my main love and I loved re-reading Julie Garwood, Judith McNaught and Linda Howard over and over again. These days, my most read genre is contemporary. I am drawn to the more modern romances because I connect more with them. I still love historicals but I don’t read nearly as many of them as I used.

I’m also a different reader now. I used to have such patience with characters and storylines. I used to never DNF books. I read every book that I picked up from beginning to end but becoming a book blogger has changed that for me. I don’t have the time or the patience to continue a book that I just do not care for. Life is too short to waste time on books that I’m not invested in.

These changes in myself led me to this list. Check it out.

Virgin River by Robyn Carr
Released on March 20, 2007
Publisher: Mira Books
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 386
My Review: Virgin River

“Wanted: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against the backdrop of towering California redwoods and crystal-clear rivers. Rent-free cabin included.” When the recently widowed Melinda Monroe sees this ad she quickly decides that the remote mountain town of Virgin River might be the perfect place to escape her heartache, and to reenergize the nursing career she loves. But her high hopes are dashed within an hour of arriving: the cabin is a dump, the roads are treacherous and the local doctor wants nothing to do with her. Realizing she’s made a huge mistake, Mel decides to leave town the following morning.

But a tiny baby, abandoned on a front porch, changes her plans…and a former marine cements them into place.

Melinda Monroe may have come to Virgin River looking for an escape, but instead, she finds her home.

I used to love small town romances but aside from a series or two that I’m mostly reading for the authors themselves and not the small towns, I don’t read them very often. I gave up the Virgin River series after a handful of books in the beginning and what I remember not caring about is all of the cheesy nosiness of everyone in town. If I read this book now, I’d want to rip my hair out. So it just figures that Netflix announces that they’re bringing the Virgin River stories to life in a short series, right? Ehh.

Only His by Susan Mallery
Released on September 11, 2011
Publisher: HQN
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 344
My Review: Only His

Wedding bells are ringing in Fool’s Gold, but not for Nevada Hendrix. Her triplet sisters are engaged, and even her mother has a more active love life than she does. Determined to make a fresh start, she applies for her dream job, only to discover that her new boss is her first love. Maybe she could overlook the fact that they’ve seen each other naked, but she’ll never forget the way he broke her heart.

Tucker Janack agrees to Nevada’s “business only” ground rules. After all, love is a trap that the construction millionaire has avoided his whole life. But when great business partners turn out to be so much more, every rule gets broken. Will either of them be willing to try again…or will their past get in the way?

This book is one of the triplets books from the Fool’s Gold series by Susan Mallery and I don’t remember much about the romance itself but I don’t think I’ll ever forget how cheesy everything else was in the book. All of the happy couples doting on each other, the pregnancies and just over the top happiness. You’d think it would be a good thing but if I were to read this book again, I’d hate it. I’d probably throw up. All of that cheesy happiness would grate on my nerves so I’ll probably never read this again.

The Best of Someone Else’s Life by Kerry Reichs
Released on October 13, 2009
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 431
My Review: The Best Day of Someone Else’s Life

Despite being cursed with a boy’s name, Kevin “Vi” Connelly is seriously female and a committed romantic. The affliction hit at the tender age of six when she was handed a basket of flower petals and ensnared by the “marry-tale.” The thrill, the attention, the big white dress—it’s the Best Day of Your Life, and it’s seriously addictive. But at twenty-seven, with a closetful of pricey bridesmaid dresses she’ll never wear again, a trunkful of embarrassing memories, and an empty bank account from paying for it all, the illusion of matrimony as the Answer to Everything begins to fray. As her friends’ choices don’t provide answers, and her family confuses her more, Vi faces off against her eminently untrustworthy boyfriend and the veracity of the BDOYL.

Eleven weddings in eighteen months would send any sane woman either over the edge or scurrying for the altar. But as reality separates from illusion, Vi learns that letting go of someone else’s story to write your own may be harder than buying the myth, but just might help her make the right choices for herself.

I remember enjoying this book back when I read it but reading through my review, I don’t think I’d stomach reading it again now. I do remember being confused because there were so many characters introduced and it was a bit of a bother to keep them all straight in my head. I don’t think that would slide so smoothly with me now and I just have no interest in this kind of book anymore.

Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught
Released on January 1, 1991
Publisher: Pocket Books
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 538
My Review: Whitney, My Love

Under the dark, languorous eyes of Clayton Westmoreland, the Duke of Claymore, Whitney Stone grew from a saucy hoyden into a ravishingly sensual woman. Fresh from her triumphs in Paris society, she returned to England to win the heart of Paul, her childhood love … only to be bargained away by her bankrupt father to the handsome, arrogant duke.

Outraged, she defies her new lord. But even as his smoldering passion seduces her into a gathering storm of desire, Whitney cannot, will not, relinquish her dream of perfect love.

As much as I love Judith McNaught’s older stuff, I don’t think that this particular book would go over well for me if I were to read it now. Between that scene and Whitney’s personality, I just don’t think it would work for me. This was almost one of my least favorite McNaught books and if I were to read this one again, I know that it would shoot straight to the top of my I HATE THESE BOOKS list so I don’t think I’d let myself go there again. Nope. Just, nope.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Released on July 18, 2007
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 513
My Review: Twilight

Isabella Swan’s move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella’s life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife-between desire and danger. Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.

Oh man, I used to love the hell out of this book. When I first read it, I was obsessed. Then it became a movie and I loved that too but if I were to read the books now (for the first time), I think that I’d hate it. I would probably think that Edward was on the same page as Christian and is a psychopathic stalker who needed to relax and Bella would drive me absolutely bat shit crazy if I were to read about her now. I don’t have a lot of patience for uninteresting characters and Bella just isn’t interesting to me anymore so I would probably either hate this book or DNF it, one of those.

Have you read any of the books listed on this list? Do you think they’d stand the test of time if you were to read them now? Are there any books that you loved before but would probably hate if you read them now? Share in the comments!

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