Ten Books That Made Me Swoon

This week in an ode to Valentine’s Day, the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish have asked us to list the Top Ten books that made us swoon.

This meme is actually a tough one. I am not particularly romantic, and I left off enjoying romances probably in my early teens. But even I can fall for a good story that has a decent love track and here are the ones that come to mind.

1. The most recent romance I read was Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Although it’s historical romance (not my favorite as I hate chauvinistic type heroes), I loved this one. Jamie has become one of my all-time favorite heroes in romance.



2. The Devil’s Cub by Georgette Heyer is another favorite. Actually, I should expand this to say any book by Georgette Heyer. I love pretty much all the heroes and heroines in the books she writes. I love the realism, and her sense of humor, and the general rightness of all the couples.
3. Although technically not a romance, I loved Rhett and Scarlett in Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. Great characters and I was really gunning for things to work out between them. I couldn’t stand them in the sequel though. This was a book that should not have been meddled with, in my opinion.
4. Of all the Jane Austen books, I love the romance between Emma and Mr. Knightley in Emma the best. Yes, even better than Elizabeth Bennet and her Mr. Darcy.
5. Another classic romance that I love is A Room with a View by E.M.Forster. I love their first meeting, the internal conflicts the heroine Lucy has to go through before she decides to choose love over convention. This is one of those thoughtful romances with some subtle social commentary added. Another plus, this is one romance that can actually be read in public with a great deal of smugness. It’s a classic, you see 😉 .



6. Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding is one of my all-time favorite chick-lit with the most swoon-worthy hero. I love Mark Darcy, and Bridget Jones, and her friends are just so much fun.
7. While on the subject of chick-lit, I really love the Shopaholic series of books by Sophie Kinsella (only up to the part they get married though, the post-wedding books are a drag). Luke is sweet and charming, and a total saint putting up with Becky’s craziness.



8. Another great chick-lit is The Zoya Factor by Anuja Chauhan. This book has pretty much everything going for it – great lead characters who actually seem suitable for each other, a crack-pot sense of humor, and a knowing take on the Indian obsession with cricket. This is one book I recommend to all romance lovers.



9. Love Story by Erich Segal made my top ten tearjerkers list last week and makes it on this week’s romance list. What can I say? Sometimes, it’s the books that you read as a teen that stick with you the longest.
10. The most unusual and surprisingly touching and romantic book that I have read is probably The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. One of my all-time favorites.

So, which books do you swoon over?