There’s nothing like a cowboy on a cover to make me pick up a book and run for the checkout! Stetsons, a horse with a rider, a pair of western boots, any of those are a draw. Of course there are authors I buy just because their name is on the book. Louis L’Amour was my first love, many years ago, and I’ve read everything he’s written. I have a treasured leather-bound set that fills two bookshelves in my living room. Dorothy Garlock once told me she used his books as reference because they’re so detailed with setting and description.
The first western settings I read were Janelle Taylor’s Ecstasy series. Anyone remember those? I cried for those heroines captured by braves and sighed when they found a happy-ever-after. Later, I discovered LaVyrle Spencer and those lovely early books, then Lisa Gergory/Candace Camp. Anyone remember Francine Rivers’ wonderful westerns?
I couldn’t find any of these old covers on amazon, so I scanned mine. I have two editions of Sycamore Hill.
When you remember discovering western romances, which books and authors come to mind?
I loved historicals from the time I first remember being read to as a child. Cinderella, Aladin, and Snow White were some mighty good stories that authors today are incorporating into their books. But, I didn’t stumble onto western romance until I checked out Jodi Thomas’s “The Tender Texan” from the library. Oh my gosh! That book left a memorable impression. I read others by her and began quite a fan. Then, I started reading Bobbie Smith. Now my brain is automatically trained to spot books with cowboys, either the person or the title, on the cover. Those are bought immediately. Right now I’m enthralled by Linda Lael Miller’s “A Man From Stone Creek.” I can’t put it down. I hope readers look for their special interests and buy them.
Bobbi will be delighed to read that. Let’s hope she stops by.
Well the first romance I ever read was a western - Nevada Nights by Ruth Ryan Langan. It was sooo 1980s, but as a teen I thought it was just about the most exciting book I’d ever read.
As an adult, I rediscovered westerns with Robin Lee Hatcher, Lorraine Heath’s most excellent Texas trilogy, pretty much all the fab western authors writing for Harlequin Historical, Pamela Morsi (more Americana than western!) and Maggie Osborne.
I grew up reading Louis L’Amour,Ernest Haycox and Zane Grey and have loved westerns ever since. One of the romantic westerns that stands out as a really fine book was written by Sandra Brown. Don’t remember the title but all of my reading buddies loved it. And I can remember I never passed up a western by Roseanne Bittner or Cassie Edwards.
I will return to this site alot. Thank you so much for putting this information together for us.
I started out reading Rosemary Roger’s Sweet Savage Love and I’ve been hooked ever since.
I’m an aspiring western romance author. I, too, love Louis L’Amour and often use his books as reference. Also, Larry McMurtry who wrote Lonesone Dove. Now, there’s someone you can learn from! Not only the facts, but his character’s are so quirky!
I love that you ladies have put together this site. I’ve already book marked it and added it to my links on my blog.
Best Wishes,
~Carol
I guess my favorite western romances were written by LaVryle Spencer and Sandra Brown. But I loved Johanna Lindsay and Jill Marie Landis too. Linda Lael Miller is an auto-buy for me. I love her series, both historical and contemporary westerns.
Charlene
Wendy, I loved Pam Morsi’s Americana, too. They’re as close to western as one can get.
Carol, SMOOCHES for linking to us from your blog!
We love you already!
This site is GREAT!!! I’m so glad to have found it. I love westerns and started with Linda Lael Miller, Lorraine Heath and Geralyn Dawson. Everytime I see a Western, I’m there buying it. That particular period in history fascinates me and is always a perfect setting for a romance.
Marisa, great to see you here–and what you said! Wait ’til you see Geralyn’s new cover. It’s gorgeous!
Julie Garwood’s For the Roses was the first western set romance (and first romance) that I ever read. I was hooked after that and soon began buying even more romances.
As a big fan of westerns (tv and movies) the western historicals were what I bought mostly at first (although I eventually began reading other historical genres and a couple of years ago branched out to other subgenres as well). Linda Lael Miller, Jodi Thomas, and just about every author that is a part of this blog were and are autobuys for me when I first started reading romances.
Cally and the Sherrif by Cassandra Austin was my first Harelquin Historical (and I still have it today)…after it I was hooked on the Harlequin Historicals and even today when a new western one comes out I get excited. I will confess to buying a book just because it is a western romance without even reading the back…LOL. Those will always be my favorite.
Jennifer, I loved Cassandra’s books, too! My favorite is Wait for the Sunrise with the blind hero. Have you read that one?
I sent her an invitation to come check out the site. Hopefully, she’ll stop by and see your post.
Howdy Marissa and Joye! Glad you moseyed over.
It’s hard to say who got me started. There are a few mixed up in there but the three main ones I think are Patricia Potter, Jill Marie Landis and Rosanne Bittner.
I haven’t read that one Cheryl…I will have to try and find it somewhere.
Oh geez! I can’t believe I forgot Rosanne Bittner! She wrote some fabulous westerns….
I think my first western was Elizabeth Lowell’s only series. God I lurve those books…
I wouldn’t read Robin Lee Hatcher if you paid me. She wants to be ashamed of her romance roots she can go somewhere else and do it.
Rosanne Bittner is great! And still writing last I saw but sadly they are inspy. Err sad for me…
Really why in the hell do they keep buying nifty sounding westerns in the inspy lines? So annoying. Well for me.
I am thinking “Screw Waldo, Where’s Rawley” would make for a good sig line… just in case anyone needed one.
howdy
Hi Cheryl,
The secret is, of course, that cowboys are latter days knights in shining armour!
Best wishes
Carol
I grew up reading first the Roy Rogers books then moved to Louis L’Amour then discovered western romances. My early faves were Janet Dailey (the Calder series), Francine Rivers, Rosanne Bittner, and Johanna Lindsey. Finally, westerns where the cowboy rides off on his horse AND gets the girl, too!
Johanna Lindsey and Elizabeth Lowell did it for me. I think Lowell’s Only Series will go down in history for many of us.
Johanna Lindsey’s Angel and Savage Thunder are still all-time faves.
I got started reading Rosanne Bittner’s westerns, and I still love them.
I noticed something recently thanks to this post…almost all of my comfort reads or books that I re-read when I am in a funk and need a pick-me-up are the western romances…Johanna Lindsey, Lorraine Heath, Jodi Thomas, Linda Lael Miller, Geralyn Dawson, Maureen McKade, etc…those are some of my comfort authors.
Wow, great observation, Jennifer! For the most part, ME TOO! Except for a couple.
Sybil, someday you will have to just tell us what you really think. :::snort:::
I am trying cheryl! But learning to come out of my shell is just a work in progress… someday… who knows
This is a neat site!I have read most of all of the “writers”mentioned by the other bloggers to date, must say that Zane Grey’s “Code of The West”, was my favoite western romance, of all time. And if you want to read real cowboys, and and good horses, Will James has never bored me. At the risk of “dating” myself :-). However in recent years, I find I love to be entertained by all you great “newer” western romance writers, you know who you are
Thanks Cheryl for sending me this site. Hope all of you keep up the good work, and I can’t wait to read the next one! P.S. I raised a lot of good quarter horses, and rode a lot of them, for years.(Still have a few of them, & still saddle my own.)